Utah resident Danielle Staley has been located “safe and uninjured,” the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced, more than two weeks after she was reported missing from a local beach.
“Additional details are not available at this time,” officials wrote in a Sunday morning update on social media.
At the time of her disappearance, Staley, 35, was on a road trip in a van with her longtime romantic partner, whom her family identified as 62-year-old Alx Nunez. They had been in the Santa Cruz area for about a week before Nunez reported Staley missing on Nov. 7. Nunez told investigators that Staley didn’t return to their van after she attended a late-night group bonfire at Rio Del Mar State Beach.
Nunez told authorities Staley left her phone and belongings on the beach and hadn’t been in touch with him or family, which was uncharacteristic of her. Because of those circumstances, Santa Cruz County sheriff’s detectives said they were concerned for her safety and began an extensive search and called for the community to check their video camera footage and to report any sightings of her.
“We want to express our sincere gratitude to the community and to everyone who provided information and assisted in the search for Danielle,” sheriff’s detectives wrote in the update. “We truly appreciate it and are very pleased she was located and is safe.”
Have news that should be in Lookout Briefs? Send your news releases, including contact information, to news@lookoutlocal.com.
