71-year-old vanished months ago, California cops say. Her remains were just found
_fitted.png "The remains of a 71-year-old woman who vanished months ago have been found, California authorities said.")
The remains of a 71-year-old woman who vanished months ago have been found, California authorities said.
Patricia Ribeiro, of Bridgeville, was last seen on Aug. 18, by a friend walking along state Highway 36 in Humboldt County, according to an Aug. 20 Facebook post from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. She refused a ride home.
At the time of her disappearance, deputies searched the area where Ribeiro was last seen for three consecutive days with “ground crews, trained tracking dogs and aerial support,” but did not find her, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said Ribeiro had “medical conditions and may be disoriented.”
Months later, on Nov. 11, a resident happened upon skeletal remains near a private road off Highway 36, the sheriff’s office said in a Tuesday, Nov. 15 news release. The coroner’s office later confirmed they belonged to Ribeiro.
“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies to Ribeiro’s family during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said.
Foul play is not suspected, the release said, and the coroner’s office will examine the remains further on Nov. 17.
Humboldt County is about 300 miles northwest of Sacramento.
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 3:00 PM with the headline "71-year-old vanished months ago, California cops say. Her remains were just found."
