A shocking update from police has brought immense relief to the family of missing California mother of two Angelica Brophy, allowing them to hold onto hope that she will still come home
THE family of a missing woman have been told by cops that the human remains found in the area she disappeared in last month belong to someone else.
California mom of two Angelica Brophy hasn’t been since July 6 when she was spotted in a car alone at Palomar Mountain State Park.
Angelica Brophy has been missing since July 6Credit: Family Handout
Investigators found remains in the area where Brophy went missing but have confirmed it was someone elseCredit: ONSCENE.TV/FOX5
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, remains were found on Wednesday evening, and it was initially currently unclear if the discovery is connected to ER nurse Brophy.
Due to the rugged terrain and approaching darkness, investigators did not enter the area overnight.
But Brophy’s family confirmed on Thursday that the person found wasn’t their missing loved one.
“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the person whose remains were found,” Lisa Yan Fabregas wrote on Facebook.
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“Police have now confirmed that the remains are not related to Angelica. While our family is relieved and continues to hold onto hope that Angelica will come home, our thoughts remain with the family who is now facing this heartbreaking loss.”
The Sheriff’s Department said a search and investigation would begin at daybreak Thursday.
No additional details were immediately available but Brophy’s disappearance has triggered a huge manhunt by friends and family for over a month.
Brophy was seen at Harrah’s Resort Casino in Valley Center on the afternoon of July 6.
About an hour later, the avid hiker was reportedly spotted alone in her vehicle at Palomar Mountain State Park.
Investigators found her vehicle in the state park’s parking lot on July 9, providing the last known physical clue in the search for her.
Palomar Mountain State Park, located in northern San Diego County, spans 1,862 acres and is largely covered by dense coniferous forest.
The rugged, heavily wooded terrain could make a search particularly challenging if someone were to hike alone and become lost.
Brophy’s husband, Brent, reported her missing after she failed to return home and did not show up for her scheduled overnight shift at Kaiser San Marcos Hospital.
For Ashley Seitz, one of Brophy’s closest friends and coworkers, the uncertainty has been devastating.
She said it has become difficult to carry on with everyday life while there are still no answers about what happened to the missing nurse.
A car belonging to the ER nurse was seen in a parking lot near a hiking trailCredit: YouTube/FOX 5 San Diego
Close friend Ashley Seitz spoke to The U.S. Sun about her friend’s heartbreaking disappearanceCredit: The TacoBellas
“It’s haunting and awful and all consuming,” Seitz told The U.S. Sun.
She described the strange reality of trying to make plans with their close-knit group of friends, known as the TacoBellas, while constantly wondering whether Brophy will be there.
“Are we still doing this? Are we still going here?” Seitz recalled asking. “Are we literally going to go to a Padres game and sit next to an empty seat? Like, what are we doing?”
As investigators continued looking for leads, Seitz and several friends went to Brophy’s home, where they discovered an old cellphone. Using the device, they were eventually able to locate information connected to Brophy’s Apple Watch.
The watch had last registered a location near a trailhead by a pond.
Seitz, along with her friends Elena and others, contacted Brent and began discussing possible places where they could search. When Brent asked whether the group had ever hiked in the area, Elena recognized the location.
The friends immediately contacted Brophy’s brother, who was already in the Palomar Mountain State Park area with law enforcement.
Authorities later found Brophy’s gray Hyundai Kona abandoned in the Doane Pond parking lot.
Inside the vehicle, investigators found several of Brophy’s personal belongings, including her turquoise Hydro Flask, clothing, wallet and cellphone. Her passport was also reportedly inside the car. Brophy herself was nowhere to be found.
For Seitz, seeing photographs of the vehicle was particularly painful because the friends all use the same type of Hydro Flask at work.
“Seeing the image of the water bottle is really difficult for me because all five of us have that same water bottle,” Seitz said.
She also questioned why Brophy had left so many important belongings behind, particularly her passport.
“There was a bunch of clothes in the car, but that was like a sisterhood of the traveling clothes that we have,” Seitz said, explaining how the friends regularly share clothing.
“But that water bottle is hard because it’s everywhere.”
The discovery of the car has only deepened the mystery for Brophy’s loved ones. Although the official search effort was later paused, Seitz and the TacoBellas have continued to hold out hope that their friend will be found.
Seitz has also gone back over the final messages Brophy sent to their group before she disappeared.
The two friends frequently went line dancing together, and Seitz said she had last seen Brophy in person the Friday before her disappearance. Although their work schedules did not always overlap, they remained in regular contact.
Then, the night before Brophy vanished, she sent a message to their group expressing how grateful she was for their friendship.
At the time, Seitz said, the message did not seem unusual. The friends regularly reassured one another and talked about their lives.
But after Brophy disappeared, Seitz began wondering whether the message had been an indication that something was wrong.
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“When you look hindsight, when you look at it through a different lens, I mean, again, her text message is something like, we talk to each other all the time, but sure, I can’t help but now be like, oh gosh, was this a clue?” she said.
“Everything feels like a clue now.”
SOURCE: THE SUN
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16837463/angelica-brophy-missing-california-mom/
