Investigation continues as six people have gone missing near Idyllwild area
UPDATE - 8/7/20:
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Friday that Jade Kemerer and Venessa Vlasek have been found safe.
DETAILS: Two of the six missing people last seen near Idyllwild area found safe
Original Report - 8/5/20
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirmed Wednesday night that over the past five months, six people have gone missing after being last seen in the mountain communities near Idyllwild.
Many concerned residents took to social media to figure out if these cases are connected in some way and what the Sheriff's department is telling News Channel 3.
Social media sites dedicated to the mountain communities near Idyllwild are flooded with people wondering what happened to the six people.
We've been following these individual cases and giving updates from the Sheriff's department. Here's what we know:
- Roy Prifogle was last seen March 4 after reportedly going on a hike in Pine Cove near Idyllwild. For six days, search and rescue teams looked for Prifogle, eventually finding his backpack and his car in separate places. The search was suspended on March 15.
- Lydia "Dia" Abrams was reported missing June 7 out of the Mountain Center/Garner Valley area. Dia, 65, has a ranch off of Apple Canyon road. Her property was searched for three days to no avail.
- Melissa Lane was reported missing on June 15. She was last seen in Pine Cove headed to Idyllwild. Her phone and her belongings were left behind at her boyfriends house.
- Rosario Garcia was last seen on July 7 in Hemet. Her car found abandoned in Pinyon Pines on July 9. Reports say she may suffer from alzheimer or dementia.
- Jade Kemerer was last heard from on July 22. Her family says she checked out of the Bluebird Cottage Inn in Idyllwild on that day. There are reports she was seen on July 25 in Riverside where her car broke down. She hasn't been heard from since.
- Venessa Vlasek was reported missing on July 31 by her sister who lives in Virginia who said she hadn't spoken to her since the beginning of March. She was last known to be in the Idyllwild area.
The Sheriff's Department responded to our request for information on the six cases by writing in part, "We have not received any new updates on the missing persons incidents, however, all investigations are still open and ongoing."
The Sheriff's department is asking anyone with information to call 951-791-3400.
News Channel 3 will continue to bring you updates on these six missing persons cases as information becomes available.
