Family hosts fundraiser for local couple missing nearly five months
A Coachella Valley couple has been missing nearly five months. On Wednesday night Audrey Moran and Jonathan Darling Reynoso’s families hosted a fundraiser to raise money toward search efforts.
“I wish I had asked her more questions, and I didn’t,” said Amber Moran Lopez.
It was a mixture of tears and laughs for Audrey Moran’s sister, Moran Lopez, as she thought about the couple at a fundraiser at Stuft Pizza in Palm Desert.
Moran Lopez was the last person to speak with Moran.
“Wherever she’s at, if she’s watching it, or looking down on me, she would be like, ‘don’t say it.’ It was a funny conversation. She’s a character. She always made us laugh,” Moran Lopez said.
She says Moran planned to meet with Reynoso.
“She’s like, ‘I’m going to go pick him up. And it kills me every time. I should’ve asked where are you going to meet him? Or where is his friend going to drop him off at? But I didn’t cause I thought it was like an everyday…it’s not the first time she told me she was going to meet up with John, and I wish I did or which friends are you going to meet. I didn’t ask any of that,” Moran Lopez said.
The parents of the couple say they’re staying strong with support from the community.
“It’s like you try to remember…Is this really happening? And when it sinks in, another day, like yes, this did happen. You’re still looking for your son and for Audrey and it’s a hard thing to make it through the day, but events like this, when you can see the love and support from the community, it’s nice,” James Darling, Reynoso’s dad, said.
Maria Moran, Audrey’s mother says she is waiting for the day someone comes forward with any leads.
“Every morning I wake up, first thing that comes to mind is Audrey. I keep thinking, this day is going to happen, someone is going to share information that we need. It hasn’t happened, but I’m not losing hope. There’s a wait and it’s all in God’s time…I really look froward to the day someone is brave enough to come forward,” Maria Moran said.
Moran Lopez says she cherishes the last time she spoke with Audrey.
“Every day we always told each other that we loved each other, phone calls or last time we see each other, it’s always been, ‘I love you, sister’. So no matter what, I knew it would be our last words anyway. You never think anything like this is going to happen. You never think that will truly be the last time you’ll see them,” Moran Lopez said.
One of the family owners of Stuft Pizza says he expects to raise at least $1,000 for the families. The Moran and Darling Reynoso/Torres’ families invite people to donate to their YouCaring page.
