She didn't go on a solo hike in hot temperatures or go swimming in an area notorious for strong currents.
Lauren "El" Cho, 30, simply walked away from her Yucca Valley Airbnb on June 28 and hasn't been seen since.
Authorities and family members are still seeking tips from the public about what happened to Cho this past summer when she reportedly left the Airbnb around 5 p.m., according to SFGATE.
The residence is about a 30-minute drive north of Palm Springs, and surrounded by desert hiking trails, SFGATE reported.
"Somebody knows something. Speak up," Cho's sister wrote on the Find Lauren Cho Facebook page.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Cho was staying at the rental with a group of friends and reportedly became "upset" over an unspecified issue. She then allegedly walked away from the rental without taking food, water or her phone.
Cho was reported missing by her ex-boyfriend about three hours after she walked off. Cho may have been in "mental distress," the ex-boyfriend implied, according to reporting by SFGATE.
A search warrant was issued for the area, and the efforts included canine teams and aerial searches with fixed wing aircraft of the remote mountain terrain near the scene.
Cho is 5-foot-3, 110 pounds and has black hair.
She was last seen wearing a yellow T-shirt and jeans. She has multiple distinctive tattoos, pictured on the Facebook page, including one of a mushroom and a lamb.
The Morongo Basin Sheriff's Office and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Specialized Investigations Division are leading the investigation, according to the Facebook page. Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Detective Shaunna Ables at the Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175.
"Just a gentle reminder that El is an actual person who is fiercely loved by many, and we see the posts, comments, and speculations made about her situation, her family, her friends, her mental health...one day, El's [relatives are] bound to come across all of this because nothing on the internet truly goes away," Cho's sister wrote on Facebook. "So continue to be respectful, good people. Continue to remember her name and that she hasn't been found yet and we need her home."
Related
