OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — Authorities and loved ones are asking for the public’s help in finding an Oceanside woman who was supposed to pick up her daughter from a summer camp last week but never showed up.
Angelica Brophy, 44, was expected to pick up her daughter from camp on the afternoon of July 6. Her brother, Ramon Fabregas, said the family first realized something was wrong when she failed to appear.
"Took her daughter to camp, and she was expected to pick up her daughter at camp in the afternoon," Fabregas said.
Brophy’s husband contacted Fabregas that same day after he could not reach her.
"Her husband gave me a call asking if I've heard from her," Fabregas said. "I said no.”
On the evening of July 6, the family contacted Oceanside police and reported her missing.
On July 6, at around 3:30 p.m., surveillance cameras captured Brophy leaving Harrah's Resort in Valley Center.
According to police, on July 8, Oceanside police detectives — with assistance from Brophy’s cell phone provider — pinged her phone but no information was obtained because Brophy’s phone was either turned off or its battery was dead.
Police said Brophy’s car was spotted in a parking lot at Palomar Mountain State Park on the afternoon of July 9. A parking ticket showed her car arriving at the park at 4:20 p.m. Brophy is described as an avid hiker who had visited the park before.
"According to her friends that she works with, yes, they went back in February," Fabregas said.
"We found the car on Thursday afternoon," Fabregas added. "And as soon as we found the car, we contacted the rangers.”
The search covered more than 1,800 acres of the state park and included drones, search dogs, and volunteers.
"They had the command post out there, they had drones, you know, dogs, search dogs, and they were about 40 to 50 volunteers on the last day," Fabregas said.
The search concluded Saturday afternoon without any sign of Brophy, who is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds.
"They searched the whole park, no trace of her," Fabregas said.
On Sunday, the family distributed flyers in Palomar Mountain, Temecula, Rincon, and Pauma Valley. Family members flew and drove in from out of the area to help.
A California State Parks dive team searched a pond at the park on July 12, but “search efforts were unsuccessful but are expected to resume on Monday, July 13, with the support of divers from the San Diego Harbor Police Department,” Oceanside police said.
Fabregas said the family is focused on the children affected by Brophy's disappearance.
"You know, and this whole situation and we're actually thinking about more for the kids," he said. "We're a big family and you know, everyone flew down and drove down and just, it's the best time to be with the family.”
Anyone with information on Brophy's whereabouts is urged to call the Oceanside Police Department Det. Ryan Malone at 760-435-4537 or the department’s anonymous tip line at 760-435-4730.
