Missing woman’s body found at bottom of cliff at restricted military base, CA cops say Sara Celeste Otero (Oceanside Police Department/Facebook)
A 28-year-old woman vanished 11 days ago in California, police said.
Her body was found on Feb. 8 in a restricted area near Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base, Oceanside Police Department spokesperson Jennifer Atenza said. McClatchy News is not identifying the woman.
She was last seen on Jan. 28 around 8:40 a.m. in Oceanside, the city’s police department said in a Facebook post. It was reported by police that she was likely driving a gray Subaru Outback.
Authorities found her car at a rest stop near Interstate 5 around 3 p.m., police said. Then her body was found at the bottom of a cliff near Camp Pendleton about an hour later, police said.
Police said foul play was not suspected, and the cause of death will be released by the medical examiner. Atenza said her injuries appeared to be consistent with a fall.
Atenza told The Coast News Group that rescuers searched the places she liked to go.
“We searched high and low. This was kind of a beach overlook area and they went out there to see if she pulled off and camped out there and then they located the vehicle and her shortly thereafter.”
Her father shared the news of her death on his social media, The Coast News Group reported.
“We appreciate all of you, but we ask at this time you don’t reach out to us directly,” he wrote. “It’s a little too much to bear at this moment, but we feel your love.”
She was known to travel, camp in her car, and visit state parks and beaches, Atenza said.
“It’s a really sad outcome, and we are supporting the family in whatever way we can,” she said.
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