Authorities and family members in California are frantically searching for a mother and her eight-month-old daughter who have been missing since July 15. Whisper Owen, 36, and her baby, Sandra McCarty, were last seen leaving Fresno, where they were visiting family, to return to their home in Elk Grove, near Sacramento.
Vickie Torres, Owen’s mother, expressed her despair, telling CNN, “I’m desperate to find my daughter and her baby. It’s like she vanished into thin air.” The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office reported that the pair were last recorded by a traffic camera in Atwater, approximately 106 kilometres north of Fresno, just after 8pm on the day they went missing.
Since then, both mother and child have not been seen, and there is no clear information regarding their whereabouts. The Fresno Police Department is leading the investigation, working alongside other law enforcement agencies, and they believe Owen and Sandra may not be in the Fresno area. Authorities have noted that there are no indications of foul play at this stage.
Owen had been in Fresno for a routine doctor’s appointment for her baby and had visited her mother’s home before leaving. She intended to arrive home before dark. However, after she did not return, her partner assumed she was still at her mother’s house. It took three days for the family to realise Owen was missing, prompting them to report her disappearance.
Owen has faced health issues, including high blood pressure that intensified after giving birth. Myriad concerns have arisen regarding a potential medical emergency while driving. Richard Owen, her brother, voiced fear that something terrible could have happened, stating he felt his sister would not have voluntarily disappeared given that life was good for her.
Describing Owen as a vibrant and caring individual, her family revealed that she has a teenage child from a previous relationship and two young children with her partner who are heartbroken and anxiously awaiting their mother’s return. Vickie Torres pleaded for anyone with information to contact authorities. She firmly believes, “Somebody knows something and they need to come forward.”
Frustrated with the pace of the investigation, Torres called for increased efforts to find her daughter and granddaughter. Her brother Richard has taken it upon himself to search tirelessly, often sleeping in his car as he looks along highways and back roads.
As the search continues, family members remain hopeful for a swift resolution and urge those with any information to step forward.