The disappearance of 30-year-old Missy Hernandez is being called suspicious by authorities in California who are asking the public for help as the ongoing search reaches two weeks.
Missy Hernandez was last seen on December 7, 2021, in Fresno, California.
Public Information Officer Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office told Dateline that the sheriff’s office received a call on December 8 from a concerned friend who stated that Missy hadn’t been seen or in contact with anyone since December 7, which they said was uncommon behavior for her.
“Missy is a very social person who is out in the public view regularly,” Botti said. “So for her to not be responsive or seen was considered unusual.”
Botti told Dateline that deputies went to a location where Missy might have last been seen, but there was no sign of her.
He would not give specific details about where she was last seen, only that it was in the Fresno area. He also pointed out that Missy is from the Los Angeles area and is known to travel between there and Fresno and asked the public to be on the lookout.
“We have contacted several people who know her to get a better grasp on timelines,” Botti added. “We put out the press release / social media article to attract new callers. We have received some feedback and incorporated their statements into the investigation.”
Missy is a local vendor who is known for selling crystals and other products at art fairs and pop-up events around Fresno. She used to live in Los Angeles and is known to travel between the two cities. Her family, who lives in Texas, told Dateline that they are worried because Missy is a person who would never go this long without checking in with someone.
“This is a red flag, by that meaning that she generally always checks in no matter what,” Missy’s niece, Dolly Ayala, told Dateline. “Her and my mother are very close. Even if she needed to take time away, she would call her.”
Botti told Dateline that Missy’s sudden disappearance from the public eye coupled with her lack of communication is considered a strange behavior pattern.
“It makes us wonder if there's something nefarious going on,” he said. “That's why we need the public's help. We’re asking that if anybody knows anything to call the sheriff’s office.”
Authorities and Missy’s loved ones continue to plead for anyone with information to come forward.
“She has such a great personality,” Dolly says about her aunt. “She's goofy. She's caring. She's everything you could ever imagine, and just a positive person. Anyone that has ever met her would tell you nothing but good things about my aunt.”
Missy’s family and friends have been sharing her story on social media with the hashtag #missingmissyhernandez hoping for answers.
“We're desperate for anything anyone can do for us,” Dolly said. “We just want her home.”
Missy is described as 5’5” and weighs 130 lbs. She has brown eyes and black hair. She also has several tattoos on her arms and legs.
Anyone with information on Missy’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Gary Haslam at (559) 367-4734, (559) 600-8209, or the dispatch center at (559) 600-3111. You may also contact Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or visit Valley Crime Stoppers.