In the last few weeks, the Town Crier has spoken with the families of the missing people who have not been located.
Through tears, grief and frustration, their loved ones are desperately trying to find answers and have had to continue life without them. Unsure if their loved one is alive or dead, families have faced birthdays and anniversaries, family events and now the holidays.
Another young woman has gone missing from San Jacinto and could be anywhere.
Earlier this month, Diana Perez Gonzalez, 28, went missing.
PHOTO BY DIANA PEREZ GONZALEZ
According to Hemet Police Department Sgt. Michael Mouat, “She was reported missing from the city of San Jacinto by her friend on Dec. 11. Our officer who was assigned conducted their investigation [and] exhausted all their local investigative resources. Gonzalez was entered into a national database of missing persons and the report was forwarded to our Investigative Bureau and the Riverside [County] Sheriff’s Department [RCSD] for further follow-up.”
As of Dec. 21, Gonzalez has not been located. The RCSD has taken over the investigation. According to Correctional Sgt. Deanna Pecoraro in an email on Monday, “She was placed into the system as a missing person and an investigation is underway to try to locate her safely. At this time, we do not have any further information available for release.”
Gonzalez’s aunt, Maria Romero, posted on Facebook Dec. 16, “My family and I would like to thank everyone for sharing and reposting. Let us all pray for Diana’s safety and well-being. We need to bring Diana home.
She is two months pregnant and has a six-month-old baby girl who needs her mother.”
Four people in addition to Gonzalez remain missing
Eight people have gone missing in the area since March of this year. Five of the eight people, including Gonzalez, remain missing. RCSD media information bureau did not respond to the newspaper’s weekly inquiry Friday as to whether or not the agency had any updates on the status of Lydia “Dia” Abrams, Roy Prifogle, Melissa Lane and Rosario Garcia.
The newspaper has been asking for updates weekly since early summer.
On Sept. 10, a RCSD SUV was spotted hauling an off-road vehicle near Highway 243 and Saunders Meadow Road.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD GILLILAND
According to Hemet Sheriff Station Capt. Leonard Purvis, “They were conducting follow-up searches for Melissa Lane.”
While it was unclear exactly where on the mountain deputies were searching for Lane, Purvis also confirmed that the search didn’t provide any further information or evidence of where Lane may have gone missing. That is an update the media information bureau could have provided.
Lane, 41, was last seen June 15, according to a poster that was displayed in the Mountain Center area. The Town Crier spoke to Kathy Lamont, Lane’s mother, right after she was reported missing.
“She was an avid hiker but didn’t have a destination,” Lamont said. “She was last seen in Pine Cove. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive.”
Outside of the search for Lane, the community has not received any updates on the other three missing people. Friends, family and the community have been left in the dark.
Garcia was last seen July 7 wearing a brown shirt and blue jeans in Hemet. Garcia is a 73-year-old Hispanic female and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. She is 5’ 3” tall and 120 pounds.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Palm Desert deputies from the RCSD were dispatched to the area of 70000 East Highway 74 in Pinyon Pines at 11:46 a.m. July 9 after Garcia’s vehicle was found unoccupied. Garcia was not located after a search of the area was conducted.
Earlier in the year, 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.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KENDRA JOHNSON
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.”
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. 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.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LYDIA ‘DIA’ ABRAMS
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) June 9. They conducted a search from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no success of finding Abrams.
RMRU went out again 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 regarding the whereabouts of Roy Prifogle, Dia Abrams, Rosario Garcia, Diana Perez Gonzalez or Melissa Lane, contact the RCSD at 800-950-2444.
