As of Friday afternoon, two of the six people officially reported missing in our mountain area to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) have been located.
According to Correctional Sergeant Deanna Pecoraro, “Venessa Vlasek has been located safely and removed from the missing persons database.” No further details were available.
According to the Orange Police Department Dispatch Center, Officer Bryce Ayres located Jade Kemerer and Shane Wilcock, of Idyllwild, in Kemerer’s vehicle at 11:40 a.m. Friday at the corner of Main Street and Town and Country Road in the city of Orange.
“Police found her and she appears fine,” said Eric Kemerer, Jade’s father, in a phone interview. “She lost her phone, which is why she wasn’t answering. I hope to hear from her soon.”
Melissa Lane was officially added to the system as a missing person on Aug. 5, according to Pecoraro. Lane, Rosario Garcia, Dia Abrams and Roy Prifogle remain missing.
On Sunday, the Town Crier reached out to RCSD asking for any updates or further action regarding the remaining four missing people.
Pecoraro responded, “We have no update but if and when we do, we definitely will reach out to you and let you know.”
Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
Melissa Lane, 41, was last seen June 15, according to a poster on display in the Mountain Center area. The Town Crier spoke to Kathy Lamont, Lane’s mother, “She was an avid hiker, but didn’t have a destination. She was last seen in Pine Cove. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive.”
Rosario Garcia was last seen July 7 wearing a brown shirt and blue jeans at the 26000 block of Katherine Street in Hemet. Garcia is a 73-year-old Hispanic female and it is possible she suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. She is 5’ 3” tall and 120 pounds.
Palm Desert deputies from the RCSD were dispatched to the area of 70000 East Highway 74 in Pinyon Pines at 11:46 a.m. on July 9 after Garcia’s vehicle was found unoccupied. Garcia was not located after a search of the area was conducted.
Photo courtesy of Kendra Johnson
Earlier in the year, local Roy Prifogle was reported missing after going on a hike in the Pine Cove area Wednesday, March 4. He left home at about 1 p.m. and was last seen at the Pine Cove Market at 6:30 p.m. on the same day. He was last seen wearing a red backpack and jeans.
RCSD Deputy Jeremy Parsons said, “After six full days of searching in between inclement weather, searching 8 to 10 hours per day, Prifogle has not been located. The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU), as well as search and rescue volunteers from San Bernardino County, Orange County, and San Diego County, were assisting. In total, about 150 people have been searching during those six days.” Also adding, “On the second or third day of the search, we found his backpack, but have found no other clues as to his whereabouts.”
Photo courtesy of Lydia ‘Dia’ Abrams
On Sunday, June 7 at approximately 8:24 a.m., Hemet Station Deputies were dispatched to the 58000 block of Bonita Vista in reference to a missing person. Lydia “Dia” Abrams was placed into the system as a missing person.
Abrams is 65 years old, 5’ 5” tall, 130 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and turquoise jacket, yellow shirt and blue jeans.
According to RMRU, their team of volunteers was dispatched to Abrams’ 160-acre ranch in the Apple Canyon area (between Mountain Center and Garner Valley) on June 9. They conducted a search from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no success of finding Abrams.
RMRU went out again on June 10 to search more difficult areas on the property including a creek bed and the hills overlooking her ranch. All assignments were completed by 6 p.m. At that point, detectives took over the investigation and called off the physical ground search.
If you have any information of the whereabouts of Roy Prifogle, Dia Abrams, Rosario Garcia, or Melissa Lane, contact the RCSD immediately at 800-950-2444.
