CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A South Bay family is appealing for information after a grim discovery: an SUV submerged in a creek with the body of a beloved Goodwill employee inside.
Along Telegraph Canyon Road, wooden fence parts and police tape mark the spot where an SUV likely crashed through a fence and into a creek bed.
“Just feel a sadness like I’ve never felt before,” said Eddie Flores.
His sister Beatriz's 2005 Ford Escape was discovered, flipped and submerged in a creek near Paseo Ladera last Wednesday morning. Her body was inside. Family members were left reeling.
“It feels like emptiness. Someone is missing,’ said Flores.
Beatriz was last seen Tuesday night leaving the Goodwill bookstore in Eastlake, where she worked as a cashier. It had been raining throughout the day, and Flores believes his sister, the primary caretaker for their parents, was likely headed straight to her Chula Vista home. She never made it.
“She was very loving and very caring, “ said Flores.
Beatriz's body was discovered on her 48th birthday.
“The vehicle is thought to have lost control, hit a tree and ended up down in the creek,” said Flores.
While the roads that night were slick, Flores says something doesn't add up.
“We can't wrap our head around the fact that she could have lost control of the vehicle on her own,” said Flores.
Flores says his sister had a perfect driving record. No tickets or accidents.
“She is a very cautious driver in all conditions. Some people would make fun of her that she was like a grandma because she was driving really slow,” said Flores.
Flores wonders if another car may have cut her off. Police say there is no evidence of a second vehicle, but so far, there are no witnesses.
If witnesses do exist, Flores hopes they will come forward.
“Not knowing what happened to my sister … my nightmare continues. It doesn't give an opportunity for closure,” said Flores.
If you have any information on the accident, call the Chula Vista Police at 619-476-5320 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
