By Jon Chown
A 35-year-old woman visiting Santa Cruz County for the first time is missing and authorities suspect foul play may be involved.
Danielle Staley was last seen around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 near Rio Del Mar Beach. She is 5’6”, weighs about 120 pounds and has blond hair. She was last seen wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and leopard-print leggings.
A post on the sheriff’s Facebook page elicited a lot of responses, with many having claimed to have recently seen her. David Black, a resident of Aptos, posted that he saw her on Nov. 7, around 1 p.m. walking a trail over Aptos Creek.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sergeant Zach West said that Staley has not been in contact with any family members for days, which is different than her normal behavior. The last time she was seen was with a group of people on the beach that are unknown to the sheriff’s office.
While she has disappeared, several personal items of hers were left on the beach.
“So those reasons are causing some concern and raising red flags,” West said. “She’s not from around here. It becomes kind of suspicious when you’re looking at why are they here, why are they missing, is there a history of similar types of behaviors. … So when those questions go unanswered, it could be something more than a missing person.”
West said the sheriff’s office is asking any of the businesses in Rio Del Mar to look at video surveillance and reach out to detectives if they see something that looks out of the ordinary between Nov. 5 and Nov. 7.
“There’s a lot more questions than we have answers to,” West said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 831-471-1121.
TOP IMAGE: Danielle Staley