Just days after California college student Alycia “Aly” Yeoman went missing, police confirmed on Tuesday that her abandoned vehicle had been found in an orchard.
It’s the first big break authorities have received since the 20-year-old disappeared last week.
Workers at a Sutter County orchard spotted a green 1998 Toyota Tacoma truck stuck in the mud on Friday morning and reported it to police on Monday, the Gridley Police Department said.
A single pair of footprints led away from the vehicle, Sacramento’s KCRA News reported. Police have confirmed that the truck, which was unoccupied, belongs to Yeoman.
Police said Yeoman was last seen leaving a Yuba City residence in the truck on Thursday night. The individual she was visiting has been described as a male friend.
Yeoman, a Yuba College student who works at both Starbucks and McDonald’s, failed to show up for shifts at either establishment.
“No one has heard from her,” Christa Mills, a friend and co-worker of Yeoman’s told KHSL-TV in Chico, California. “It’s just really worrying and it’s not like Aly at all.”
Authorities on Sunday pinged Yeoman’s cell phone to a field near the Yuba City Walmart, but failed to turn up any sign of her or her phone.
On Monday, police were notified that someone had found the phone not far from where Yeoman’s vehicle was discovered. The individual turned it on to identify the owner, but it quickly lost power. The person then took it to a Yuba City cell phone store. Authorities have not yet said what day the phone was discovered or if Sunday’s ping was associated with the individual who powered on the phone.
“These facts and the interviews with family, friends and investigative leads are very concerning and all resources are being utilized,” the Gridley Police Department said in a press release.
The department did not immediately respond to request for comment from The Huffington Post.
A friend of Yeoman’s family told HuffPost, “We want to let the police do [their] job and not have media interference. Thank you.”
Yeoman is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 115 pounds. She has brownish-blond hair, braces, a nose ring and a small mole near her left eye.
Anyone with information about her case is asked to call the Gridley Police Department at 530-846-5670.
A Facebook page has also been set up to help find Yeoman.
This story has been updated to reflect that someone found Yeoman’s cell phone.
David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send an email or follow him on Twitter.
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