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The body of missing California woman Jolissa Fuentes has been found two months after her disappearance, officials said last night.
The 22-year-old’s body was discovered Monday in a badly damaged car at the base of a 400-foot cliff near Pine Flat Lake in Fresno County, after investigators found evidence that a car had left a road in the hills. .
Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz was led to the scene of the accident after he theorized that Fuentes may have fallen asleep at the wheel and managed to find the car in an area police had already searched, while made its way through heavy grass and bushes to make the discovery.
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims credited ‘divine intervention’ for helping police track down Fuentes.
‘As a woman of faith I believe’ [Alcaraz] divinely channeled to that area,” Mims told reporters at a news conference yesterday.
Fuentes was last seen on Aug. 7 at the AM/PM gas station in Selma, California, about 15 miles southeast of Fresno, when a surveillance camera saw her exit her 2011 silver Hyundai Accent at around 4 a.m. to make a purchase. to do.
Relatives said she had been at a family gathering until the early hours, giving credence to Alcaraz’s theory that she may have been behind the wheel.
Incredible drone footage released by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office showed the treacherous rescue teams had to traverse the landscape to find the badly damaged car, which can be seen in the undergrowth.
Jolissa Fuentes was last seen on Aug. 7 at the AM/PM gas station in Selma, California, about 15 miles southeast of Fresno
The 22-year-old’s body was discovered Monday in a badly damaged car at the base of a 400-foot cliff near Pine Flat Lake in Fresno County, after investigators found evidence that a car had left a road in the hills. (police pictured on the edge of the cliff)
Police forced their way through heavy grass and bushes to make the discovery after descending from the cliff
Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz was led to the scene of the accident after he theorized that Fuentes may have fallen asleep at the wheel and managed to find the car in an area police had already searched
This security footage from an AM/PM gas station is the last known sighting of Fuentes before her disappearance
Fuentes’ parents, Norma Nunez and Joey Fuentes, stood with tears in their eyes next to law enforcement officers at the press conference yesterday.
They thanked the officials who participated in the search for their daughter and issued a statement expressing their gratitude for the public support they received after several members of their community joined the search.
“I want to thank the community, not just the community, this entire nation. The cries and pain of my wife, my sisters and my family could be heard all over the country,” Fuentes said through tears.
A photo of Fuentes standing in front of her silver Hyundai before she mysteriously disappeared on August 7
Relatives said that, based on the surveillance footage, Fuentes had gone the wrong way to get to her home as she left the gas station parking lot on Aug. 7.
At about 5:24 a.m. — 90 minutes after she was last seen — she called her sister twice, but the calls went unanswered.
The desperate family turned to the Adventures with Purpose amateur diving team to help comb nearby lakes in their search for her.
The dive team has solved 23 missing persons cases and most recently discovered the body and silver SUV driven by missing teenager Kiely Rodni (16).
The divers searched Avocado and Pine Flat Lake after police said her phone was the last to ping in that area, but could find no trace of her.
All the while, Fuentes’ car lay smashed, hidden by brush and grass, after sinking hundreds of meters down the side of a cliff.
Missing Person Flyer of Jolissa Fuentes, 22, from California
Fuentes was seen on a security video of a gas station getting out of her car – a silver 2011 Hyundai Accent – as she walked into the gas station and made a purchase before going back to her vehicle.
The desperate family turned to the amateur diving team, Adventures with Purpose, to help comb nearby lakes in their search for her. The dive team has solved 23 missing persons cases and recently discovered the body and silver SUV driven by missing teenager Kiely Rodni (16)
A statement released by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office after the discovery of Fuentes and her car read: “On Monday, Oct. 10, Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz discovered vehicle debris along Trimmer Springs Road, near Pine Flat Lake.
“Upon further investigation, Chief Alcaraz thought there may have been a car accident in the area. He found old tire tracks going through the vegetation and off a cliff. Chief Alcaraz contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and requested that members of the Search and Rescue team respond to the site.
Drones were flown and deputies descended more than 120 meters from the roadway and discovered a damaged car. The vehicle belonged to Jolissa Fuentes.
“Human remains and some of Jolissa’s personal belongings have been found in this ravine. Repair attempts continued until Tuesday… No malicious intent is suspected in this case.
“Family, friends and law enforcement officers have searched extensively for Jolissa and spread the word in hopes of getting information about her whereabouts.
“We wish all of Jolissa’s loved ones to pray during this difficult time.”