Missing Person Desert Center

August 30, 2024
Desert Center Interstate-10
2024-035

Written by: Richard Yocum

I responded to the request to assist the Desert Sheriff’s Search and Rescue (DSSAR) team in a missing person search in Desert Center in the Colorado Desert in Riverside County, population 191, between the cities of Indio and Blythe, about halfway between Phoenix and Los Angeles – in other words, it’s pretty much way out there in the desert with not a heck of a lot happening.

After a 0600 briefing we drove to the initial planning point and along with 5 members of DSSAR we formulated our search strategy. Our missing person was 19-year-old man reported missing by his mother on 8/24/2024 from his home in Arizona. His vehicle was found abandoned along the I-10 free-way, with cellphone inside the vehicle and keys on the ground nearby. He had been at least several days off his medications for mental health issues.

We spent about 4 hours of open line searching for clues and covered a lot of ground over the fairly open desert landscape, as the temperature slowly climbed to more than 100 degrees. Also participat-ing in the search were Riverside Sheriff’s Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement (ROVE) and aviation assets from various agencies. RMRU hopes that he is found soon.

RMRU Members Involved: (Richard Yocum)

Other Agencies Involved: (Riverside County Sheriff’s Office personnel and ROVE, and DSSAR)