Car Possibly Belonging To Missing Couple Found In Central California
CAMBRIA (CBSLA.com) – A crashed car matching the description of the one belonging to a North Hollywood couple missing since Dec. 23 was found Tuesday afternoon near the Central California town of Cambria. The bodies of a person and a dog were nearby the car.
According to California Highway Patrol, the couple's 2002 Honda Civic was located by a California state park ranger several hundred feet down the side of a cliff near the Pacific Coast Highway at Ragged Point, a landmark about 15 miles north of Heart Castle. The bodies of a person and a dog were found 15 feet from the vehicle.
Olivia Hannah Gonzalez, 20, and Brian Fernandez, 21, left for Big Sur on Dec. 23 and told family they would be home Christmas day. They were travelling with two dogs. Their families never heard from them, according to Los Angeles police.
"Right now, my family and I are just anxious," Olivia's sister, Vanessa Guzman, told KCAL9 Tuesday. "We wanted closure, but not like this."
The missing couple reportedly used a credit card at a general store in Cambria, south of where the crash occurred. It may have been the last place they were seen. Police have been circulating photos of Gonzales and Fernandez hoping the public could give them a lead to their whereabouts.
"I went to Cambria, and went up to Big Sur, and also went by Ragged Point," Guzman said. "And the locals there said they didn't see them, so I really I know it was raining really bad. And those roads are treacherous."
Crews with Cal Fire and the Cambria Fire Department rappelled down to the car Tuesday evening. Due to the treacherous terrain, as of Tuesday evening, authorities have been unable to positively identify the body or the car.
Stay with CBS Los Angeles for the latest on this developing story.
