WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.960 Now the Angelus National Forest, a sprawling expanse of over 2 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:08.519 seven hundred thousand acres, serves as a rugged crown to 3 00:00:08.599 --> 00:00:12.519 the Los Angeles Basin. It's often affectionately referred to as 4 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:16.679 LA's backyard playground, a testament to its role as a 5 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:20.679 vital recreational escape for millions living in the adjacent metropolis. 6 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:26.199 Its accessible trails, soaring peaks, and shaded canyons offer a 7 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:30.480 quick and profound immersion into the wild. Yet this idyllic 8 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:34.759 image belies a more formidable truth. The forest is a 9 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:39.200 place of rugged terrain and harsh vegetation. It's a genuine 10 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:44.320 wilderness where the line between recreation and peril is perilously thin. 11 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:48.920 For decades, its canyons have echoed with stories of those 12 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:52.079 who ventured in and did not return, making it a 13 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:56.679 landscape of a long and often tragic memory. On June 14 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:00.759 twenty second, twenty twenty five, this unforgiving place ground became 15 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:05.680 the setting for another baffling disappearance. Monica Reza, a sixty 16 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:08.959 year old hiker, vanished from the well trodden trails near 17 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:13.280 Mount Waterman. Her case triggered a massive multi agency search 18 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:18.239 operation through intense public scrutiny and ultimately settled into the quiet, 19 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:23.439 uncertain status of an open and ongoing investigation. The disappearance 20 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.799 of an experienced hiker, in good health and unfamiliar territory 21 00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:30.239 from the mists of her own hiking party presents a 22 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:33.959 profound mystery. It's a case that not only highlights the 23 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:37.120 inherent dangers of the wilderness, but also serves as a 24 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:41.439 modern parable about the limits of technology, the complexities of 25 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:45.680 public involvement in official investigations, and the enduring power of 26 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:50.359 the wild to defy human understanding. This video, we're going 27 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:54.040 to provide an exhaustive examination of the Monica res A case, 28 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:57.840 from her last known movements to the somber conclusion of 29 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:01.760 the initial search, placing her ste within the broader, darker 30 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:03.920 context of the many who have been lost in the 31 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:10.360 San Gabriel Mountains. Join me, let's walk and see now. 32 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.800 The narrative of any missing person case begins with the 33 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:17.000 last confirmed moments of their presence. In the case of 34 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:22.360 Monica Reza, these moments are both deceptively simple and maddeningly ambiguous. 35 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.919 Reconstructing the timeline of June twenty second, twenty twenty five 36 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:31.800 reveals a standard Sunday morning hike and inexplicably deviated into 37 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:36.280 a lasting mystery, creating an information vacuum that was almost 38 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:40.960 immediately filled with questions, speculation, and a community's desperate search 39 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:45.840 for answers. Monica Reza was not a novice lost in 40 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:49.759 an alien environment. The sixty year old Los Angeles County 41 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:53.960 resident was, by all official accounts, an experienced and well 42 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:58.000 prepared hiker. Described as a petit woman, standing four foot 43 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:01.000 eleven inches tall and weighing approximately one hundred and one pounds, 44 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.960 She had gray hair and brown eyes, and was known 45 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.280 to be in good shape. Sergeant John Gilbert of the 46 00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:11.960 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department d LASD Crescenta Valley Station 47 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:16.159 confirmed this, stating that Reza and her friend's quote went 48 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:20.240 out weekly to hike in the area end quote. This 49 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:24.199 familiarity with the terrain and regular hiking schedule makes her 50 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:28.639 disappearance all the more perplexing. Unlike many cases that involve 51 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:34.120 ill prepared or inexperienced individuals, Reside's profile suggests she possessed 52 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:37.199 the skills and knowledge to navigate the challenges of the 53 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:41.120 San Gabriel Mountains. She had no known health conditions that 54 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:44.719 would have contributed to her disappearance, further deepening the mystery. 55 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:49.000 The day began as a routine outing. Monica Rezla was 56 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:52.039 hiking with two companions in the popular Mount Waterman area 57 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:55.840 of the Angelus National Forest. The last confirmed sighting of 58 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:59.159 her occurred at approximately nine ten am near the six 59 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:03.159 thousand foot Gear eight on Angela's Crest Highway, a location 60 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:08.280 also identified as sixty thousand and one Trailhead Avenue. The 61 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:12.280 critical event, as reported by the authorities, involved the separation 62 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:16.120 of the group. According to the Crescenta Valley Weekly, the 63 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.439 trio split up when one of the hikers went ahead 64 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:21.720 to retrieve their car, leaving Monica and the third hiker 65 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:25.040 to continue together. It was at this point that the 66 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:30.199 narrative fractures. Resident became separated from her remaining companion. The 67 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.319 most crucial and enigmatic detail provided by officials is that 68 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.240 she quote left the trail for an unknown reason near 69 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:40.519 the ridge line between the elevations of seven thousand and 70 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:45.519 eight thousand feet end quote. This single action or inaction 71 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:49.759 is the pivot upon which the entire case turns. There 72 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.360 was no report of a fall, an argument, or planned rendezvous. 73 00:04:53.399 --> 00:04:56.959 Point one moment she was there, and the next she 74 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:00.519 was gone. A comment on a social media post from 75 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.399 someone claiming to be a neighbor later added a layer 76 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:07.519 of community disbelief, quoting here, how this could happen in 77 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:10.720 a group setting is beyond me, Her family and the 78 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:15.800 neighborhood is devastated. In the immediate aftermath, the flow of 79 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:20.279 information was inconsistent, a common feature of fast moving crises, 80 00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:25.199 but one that fueled public confusion. An early discrepancy merged 81 00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:29.560 regarding resis clothing. While most official reports and news outlets 82 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:33.759 eventually settled on a consistent description a red long sleeve shirt, 83 00:05:34.199 --> 00:05:37.959 green hiking pants, and hiking shoes, some initial reports were 84 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:42.680 less specific, mentioning only a long sleeve shirt. This minor 85 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.519 confusion underscored a larger problem, the lack of a clear, 86 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:50.639 detailed public narrative from her companions or the authorities about 87 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:55.759 the precise circumstances of her disappearance. The information void was 88 00:05:55.879 --> 00:06:00.120 quickly filled by burgeoning public investigation on social media platforms, 89 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:05.199 particularly redded Members of the southern California hiking community, many 90 00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:08.480 of whom were familiar with the trail and standard hiking practices, 91 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:13.319 began asking pointed and logical questions that highlighted the narratives 92 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:17.160 apparent gaps. Their queries went straight to the heart of 93 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:20.639 the matter. What was the timeline for reporting or missing? 94 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:23.959 How long was the delay between her separation and the 95 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:27.759 call to law enforcement? What were the identities of her companions? 96 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:31.399 Were they experienced hikers as well? Why did the group 97 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:35.360 separate in the first place, a practice often discouraged among 98 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.959 hiking groups. One online comment or claimed the group was 99 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:43.040 quote jogging quickly on the trail end quote, while another 100 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.959 Reddit user noted that a Facebook group dedicated to the 101 00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:49.759 search mentioned they were running back from the summit. This 102 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:52.319 led to questions about why they were running and where 103 00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:56.920 the razor was appropriately dressed for traial running, And, perhaps 104 00:06:57.079 --> 00:07:01.480 most critically, users in the Facebook group readed questioned why 105 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.439 an experienced hiker like Resi was reportedly without a water supply. 106 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.959 These questions were not born a vital gossip, but of 107 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:13.800 a logical attempt to reconcile the official story with established 108 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:17.560 norms of hiking culture. For experienced hikers, The idea of 109 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:20.920 a companion simply vanishing without a trace and the lack 110 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:26.560 of basic supplies like water seemed incongruous. The ambiguity surrounding 111 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:30.680 the separation created a space for skepticism and alternative theories 112 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:34.839 to quickly grow, turning a personal tragedy into a very 113 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:40.720 public puzzle. The response to Monica Rezi's disappearance was immediate, massive, 114 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:44.000 and a testament to the highly organized and collaborative nature 115 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:48.560 of southern California's search and rescue community. Yet the sheer 116 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:52.079 scale of the operation also served to highlight the immense 117 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:56.240 difficulty of its task. Great days a small army of 118 00:07:56.279 --> 00:08:00.439 professionals and volunteers through every available resource at the mountain, 119 00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:03.600 only to be met with a stubborn and unyielding silence. 120 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:06.680 The operational aid for the search fell to the LAS 121 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:11.079 dan's Crescenta Valley station and its affiliated volunteer unit, the 122 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:15.959 Montrose Search and Rescue SAAR team. Founded in nineteen forty seven, 123 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:19.920 Montrose SAAR is one of the most active volunteer rescue 124 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:23.000 teams in both the county and the state, responding to 125 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:25.199 an average of ninety five to one hundred and thirty 126 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:29.879 five calls annually and possessing deep institutional knowledge of the 127 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:35.440 treacherous local terrain. However, the complexity of the search quickly 128 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:40.159 necessitated a far broader coalition. What followed was a remarkable 129 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:44.759 mobilization of mutual aid, drawing in specialized teams from across 130 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:48.799 the lower half of California. The list of participating agencies 131 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:52.399 underscores the gravity with which the case was treated. Of 132 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:57.440 Tadana Mountain Rescue at Lope Valley SAAR, Sierra Madre Search 133 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:02.360 and Rescue, SANDEMUS Mountain Rescue, and Malibu SAAR from within 134 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:09.039 Los Angeles County were joined by teams from San Diego, Ventura, Riverside, Orange, 135 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:14.399 San Bernardino, Kern, and even to Larry Counties. This statewide 136 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:17.639 response transformed the area around Mount Waterman into a bustly 137 00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:22.480 command center, a coordinated assault on the wilderness. Acting Captain 138 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:26.120 Ryan A. Vienna of the Crescenta Valley Station publicly expressed 139 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:30.120 his gratitude for this extensive support, acknowledging the many search 140 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:34.000 and rescue teams involved and thanking federal partners for their 141 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:38.399 continued assistance. The search for Monica Rezi was a showcase 142 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:42.759 of modern SAAR methodology, combining traditional boots on the ground 143 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:47.000 searching with a sophisticated suite of technology from the air. 144 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.320 The lasp's Air Rescue five helicopter became a constant presence 145 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:55.159 scouring the canyons and ridges. It was supported by fixed 146 00:09:55.200 --> 00:10:00.320 wing aircraft equipped with high resolution imaging and unmannarial system owes, 147 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:03.480 all aimed at spotting any sign of resin from above. 148 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:08.720 On the ground, searchers employed a variety of tactics. In 149 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:12.600 a statement, the Montrose ESSAYR team confirmed the comprehensive nature 150 00:10:12.600 --> 00:10:15.879 of their efforts. Quote we also want to assure the 151 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.519 public that we are throwing every possible resource at this incident. 152 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:22.759 To date, we've logged hundreds of search hours on the 153 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:26.799 ground and in the air. Unmanned aerial systems, tracking, k nines, 154 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:32.440 and specialized technology have all been used. Quote. This technological 155 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:36.120 approach included working with experts to analyze cell phone forensic 156 00:10:36.200 --> 00:10:40.240 data to assist in identifying Monica's last known movements, a 157 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:44.679 critical tool in establishing a more precise search area. The goal, 158 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:48.080 as stated in a later debrief from Captain Vienna, was 159 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:54.159 to leave quote nearly no available resource untapped. Despite the 160 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:58.320 overwhelming force of manpower and technology, the search teams were 161 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:03.159 confronted by formidable adveracary the mountain itself, the terrain where 162 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:07.360 rezor was last seen is described as highly technical, exceptionally rugged, 163 00:11:07.399 --> 00:11:10.679 and steep, with punishing elevations that tested the limits of 164 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:15.720 the searchers. The environment actively resisted the search, dictated and 165 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:20.320 often defeating the tactics deployed. A telling example of this 166 00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:23.919 resistance was the use of canine units. According to a 167 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.080 volunteer who was on the ground, search dogs were utilized 168 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:30.559 on the first day, but were quickly deemed ineffective due 169 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:32.840 to the harshness of the terrain and were not used 170 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:37.480 on the trails thereafter. This is a significant detail as 171 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:40.600 it illustrates conditions so severe that one of the most 172 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:46.240 reliable tools in the Saar arsenal was rendered useless. Sergeant 173 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.080 Gilbert confirmed that the initial efforts focused on the established trails, 174 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:54.320 where searchers looked for reserve or any sign of distress 175 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:58.519 such as discarded equipment or signs of an injury. When 176 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:02.000 these grid searches yielded no the operation was forced to 177 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:05.960 move into the far more dangerous off trail backcountry. This 178 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.639 shift dramatically increased the risk to the searches themselves and 179 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:14.320 exponententially expanded the search area into the chaotic landscape of 180 00:12:14.360 --> 00:12:19.639 steep ravines, dense chaparral, and rocky outcrops. The failure of 181 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:23.639 such a massive, well equipped, and expertly coordinated operation to 182 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:27.600 find any trace of Monicaresa after eight days as a 183 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:30.519 humbling testament to the fact that even in the twenty 184 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:34.799 first century, the wilderness can easily conceal its secrets from 185 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:40.600 even the most determined human efforts. In parallel with the official, 186 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:46.159 uniformed search for Monicaresa, a second civilian led effort rapidly 187 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:49.840 took shape in the digital realm, Builed by a social 188 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:54.080 media and a passionate local hiking community. This grassroots response 189 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:59.159 became a powerful force for raising awareness. However, it also 190 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:03.399 generated significant friction with law enforcement, creating a dynamic that 191 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:07.039 has become characteristic of missing persons cases in the modern era. 192 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:13.320 This parallel investigation revealed a fundamental tension between the public's 193 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:17.559 desire for transparency and immediate action and the official need 194 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:23.440 for procedural control and investigative discipline. Within hours and days 195 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:28.440 of Resid's disappearance, the southern California hiking community mobilized online, 196 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:32.440 most on popular forums like Reddit's r slash Social Hiking 197 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:36.639 and r slash Hiking served as digital town squares. Issuing 198 00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:40.480 a call to action, One post implored users to quote 199 00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:44.000 joint hiking search parties and volunteer on the ground, and 200 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:47.799 to share Monica's search campaigns and news stories to increase 201 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:53.200 visibility end quote. The response was immedia. A Facebook group 202 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:57.279 titled help Find Missing Hiker Monica Raza was created, quickly 203 00:13:57.320 --> 00:14:02.039 becoming a central hub for coordinating updates, sharing information, and 204 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:06.559 organizing volunteer efforts. A meet up page was also established, 205 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:12.200 seeking expert hikers, mountaineers, and operations volunteers to establish a 206 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:17.080 base camp and provide logistical support, demonstrating a sophisticated level 207 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:23.320 of self organization among the civilian volunteers. These online spaces 208 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:30.120 quickly evolved beyond simple coordination hubs into active, crowdsourced investigation forums. 209 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:35.120 With official information limited to press releases, users began to 210 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:41.759 piece together clues, analyze inconsistencies, and formulate theories. Readit threads, 211 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:45.840 in particular, became a repository appointed questions directed at the 212 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:51.000 silent official narrative. As previously stated, Users with deep knowledge 213 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:54.679 of hiking protocol questioned the separation of the group, the 214 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:57.960 alleged lack of water, and reports that the hikers may 215 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:02.759 have been running. This public discourse was not merely speculative. 216 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:05.679 It was an attempt to apply logic to a situation 217 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:09.879 that seemed to defy it. The community's disbelief was palpable 218 00:15:10.039 --> 00:15:13.039 in comments like that of a purported neighbor who was 219 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:17.360 devastated and found it incomprehensible that someone could disappear from 220 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:21.279 a group setting. This sentiment was echoed by many online, 221 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:25.360 who expressed shock that an experienced hiker could vanish so completely, 222 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:29.080 so close to their companions. The digital search party was 223 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.360 not just looking for Monica resident, it was also searching 224 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:37.519 for an explanation that made sense. This surge of public participation, 225 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.639 while well intentioned, inevitably clashed with the protocols of the 226 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:47.480 official investigation. Law enforcement's primary concerns in such situations are 227 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:50.279 the preservation of evidence and the safety of the public. 228 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:53.679 On the sixth day of the search, the Crescenta Valley 229 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.360 share station issued a direct plea on its Facebook page 230 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:01.200 asking the public to avoid the search area. The post 231 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:06.080 explained the rationale clearly, quoting here, Uncoordinated foot traffic can 232 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:10.919 unintentionally interfere with tracking, evidence, delayed progress, or even create 233 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:16.519 new emergencies. Captain Vienna later reiterated this concern, noting that 234 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:21.840 the area was highly technical and difficult for inexperienced hikers. 235 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:25.879 This directive created a clear point of friction Unreddit. Some 236 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:30.159 users immediately relayed the official message, urging volunteers to stand 237 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:35.039 down and not interfere. However, others expressed frustration, with one 238 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:39.039 user writing quote, meanwhile, the poor ladies out there dying 239 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:42.080 while the gatekeepers make sure only they have access to 240 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:48.399 vital information like sell pings quote. This comment encapsulates the 241 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:51.679 core of the conflict, the public's belief in the power 242 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:55.720 of numbers and open information versus law enforcements reliance on 243 00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:01.279 controlled methodical investigation. Some volunteers attend to navigate this stuff 244 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:04.680 cult divide, with one searcher saying they had been checking 245 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:07.440 in with SAAR daily to ensure we weren't in the 246 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.480 way or covering the same ground now. This illustrates a 247 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:15.599 delicate and often tense relationship between official responders and the 248 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:20.559 passionate digitally connected communities that now invariably form around these tragedies. 249 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:24.480 Monica res A case became a vivid example of how 250 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:29.640 every modern missing person investigation is in reality two investigations, 251 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.640 the official one bound by procedure and the public one 252 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:36.720 driven by motion and the relentless logic of the crowd. 253 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:41.079 Every large scale search for a missing person operates on 254 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:46.599 a finite timeline, governed by factors of survivability, resources, and 255 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:50.599 the diminishing probability of a successful rescue. For the search 256 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:54.720 for Monica resident, that timeline reaches a conclusion after eight days. 257 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:59.039 The official announcement that followed marked a profound and somber 258 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:02.680 turning point, shifting the case from a hopeful rescue mission 259 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:08.799 to a long term, uncertain investigation. This procedural change, while standard, 260 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:12.839 carried immense weight, fundamentally altering the narrative of the case 261 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:17.799 and the emotional landscape were all involved. On Sunday, June 262 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:21.839 twenty ninth, twenty twenty five, exactly one week after Rezul 263 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:25.279 was last seen, Acting Captain Ryan A Vienna of the 264 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.480 Crescenta Valley Station issued a formal statement that officially changed 265 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:33.480 the status of the operation. The language was precise and delivered, 266 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.480 quoting here, while today concludes our initial response phase of 267 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:42.720 this operation, the statement read, the investigation will continue by 268 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:48.519 our Homicide Bureau Missing Persons Unit. This announcement did not 269 00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:51.400 mean the search was over entirely, but that its nature 270 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:55.519 would change. Captain Vienna clarified that future search efforts will 271 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:59.519 be limited and continuous as data and information further inform 272 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:04.599 our efforts. He said the era of saturation searching with 273 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:08.279 hundreds of personnel coming the mountain side was over. It 274 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:11.759 would be replaced by targeted searches triggered only by new 275 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:16.839 intelligence or specific leads. The mission had officially transitioned from 276 00:19:16.839 --> 00:19:19.920 one of active rescue to one of patient investigation and 277 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:24.680 implicitly recovery. The transfer of the case to the Homicide 278 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:28.960 Bureaus Missing Persons Unit is a significant development. While the 279 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:33.039 unit handles all complex and long term adult missing person cases, 280 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:37.160 not just those involving suspected murder, the name itself carries 281 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:41.880 a heavy connotation for the public following the case. This 282 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.000 move was widely interpreted as a sign that authorities no 283 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:50.720 longer expected to find Monica Rezolive unredded. The speculation was immediate. 284 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:54.279 Eight days seemed short when user wrote, I wonder if 285 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:58.319 they have some strong evidence of foul play. In reality, 286 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:02.680 such a handover is often a procedural necessity. The homicide 287 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:06.119 Bureau's Missing Persons Unit is equipped for the slow, meticulous 288 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:09.759 work of a long term investigation, a task that falls 289 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:15.119 outside the primary mission of a rapid deployment SAAR team. Nonetheless, 290 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:19.200 the public perception was powerful. The transfer signaled that the 291 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:22.119 case had crossed the threshold, moving from the realm of 292 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.400 hope into the colder, more methodical world of a potential 293 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:31.680 crime for unexplained death investigation. This narrative shift was mirrored 294 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.559 by a poignant change in the public posture of Monica 295 00:20:34.599 --> 00:20:38.079 Rez's family. In the first frantic days of the search, 296 00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:42.119 official statements consistently related that her family is concerned for 297 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.200 her well being and asking for the public's health. This 298 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.400 was a plea for mobilization, an attempt to cast as 299 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:52.319 wide and as possible in the hope of finding her. However, 300 00:20:52.519 --> 00:20:55.680 Captain Vienna's June twenty ninth statement included a new and 301 00:20:55.720 --> 00:21:00.279 telling message, quote on behalf of family, we're conveying their 302 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:05.400 request for privacy at this time. This transition from a 303 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.680 public appeal to a privacy request marks the heartbreaking acceptance 304 00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:13.599 of a new reality for Monica Resla's family. The phase 305 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:16.440 of public hope had ended, and a period of private 306 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:21.000 grief and uncertainty had begun. The authorities acknowledged this immense 307 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.839 emotional weight, with Captain Vienna stating our hearts go out 308 00:21:24.839 --> 00:21:28.799 to Monica's family, friends, co workers, and the community who 309 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:32.680 have shown great concern for her disappearance. The case was 310 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:35.519 no longer an active crisis to be solved by the community, 311 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:38.160 but a heavy burden to be carried by our loved 312 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:41.680 ones and a cold case file to be managed by detectives. 313 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:46.720 The disappearance of Monica Resa, while uniquely tragic to her 314 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:50.559 family and community, is not an anomaly. It's a chapter 315 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.599 in the long and unsettling history of the Angelus National 316 00:21:53.640 --> 00:21:58.119 Forest as a place where people vanish. The forest vastness, 317 00:21:58.440 --> 00:22:02.519 challenging topography, and remote corners have made it a reoccurring 318 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:08.000 setting for accidents, crimes, and enduring mysteries. Understanding this context 319 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.000 is crucial, as it reveals that the forest is not 320 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:15.119 merely a passive backdrop for these events, but an active agent, 321 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:20.960 if you will, that facilitates disappearances and complicates resolutions. The 322 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:25.160 official lists of missing persons in California contained numerous entries 323 00:22:25.319 --> 00:22:28.759 tied to the Angelus National Forest. Each case the story 324 00:22:28.759 --> 00:22:33.279 of a life interrupted by the wilderness. Several notable cases 325 00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:36.880 from recent decades illustrate the diverse ways in which the 326 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:42.400 forest can become a place of tragedy, accidents, and environmental dangers. 327 00:22:43.079 --> 00:22:47.079 In July twenty twenty two, teenage couple Ethan Manzano and 328 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:51.000 Sophie ray N Edwards disappeared while driving along the Angelus 329 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:55.359 Crest Highway. Their story ended in tragedy when their Asuzu 330 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:59.759 ascender was discovered at the bottom of a mountainside. Investigators 331 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:03.240 leave their vehicle, hit a burm, lost control and rolled 332 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:06.240 down the steep embankment, a stark reminder that the roads 333 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:09.240 traversing the forest can be as dangerous as the trails 334 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:14.079 or Recently, in October of twenty twenty four, eighty year 335 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:17.480 old Gary Robert Nussel went missing while hiking in the 336 00:23:17.559 --> 00:23:20.759 Chantry Flat area, which had just reopened after a four 337 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:25.200 year closure due to the Bobgat fire. This case, which 338 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:30.039 remains unsolved, highlights how fire altered landscapes can disorient even 339 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:35.759 local hikers and create new unforeseen hazards, And then there's 340 00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:40.519 foul play and concealment. The forest's remoteness has also made 341 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:44.640 it an attractive location for those seeking to conceal criminal acts. 342 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:49.119 In February nineteen ninety two, twenty year old model Kimberley 343 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:52.680 Pandelios disappeared after telling her husband she was going to 344 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:55.960 an outdoor photo shoot in the forest. A year later, 345 00:23:56.119 --> 00:23:59.319 her partial skeletal remains were discovered just yards from her 346 00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:02.720 witness at with a group of men. Her case was 347 00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:06.960 reclassified as a probable homicide and was eventually solved twelve 348 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.559 years after her disappearance, when a convicted offender was tied 349 00:24:10.599 --> 00:24:14.640 to her demise through phone records. Then there's the case 350 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:19.480 of Jonathan Aujay, an off duty LASD deputy, which is 351 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:22.880 even more mysterious. He vanished during a run in the 352 00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:26.160 Devil's Punch Bowl area the forest on June eleventh, nineteen 353 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:30.720 ninety eight. Despite extensive searches, he was never found, and 354 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:33.920 his case remains an open wound for the department, shrouded 355 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:37.960 in theories of foul play and internal corruption. These cases 356 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.920 demonstrate that the wilderness can serve as both a lore 357 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:45.559 for victims and a cloak for predators. Placing the Monica 358 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:49.680 Resic case within this historical context reveals a clear and 359 00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:53.519 disturbing pattern The forest has been the site of disappearances 360 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:58.000 and deaths pending decades, with causes ranging from tragic accidents 361 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:03.240 to deliberate violence. Now here's a few other selected notable 362 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:07.759 cases from the Angelus National Forest, illustrating the recurring nature 363 00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:13.319 of these events. July twelfth, nineteen sixty Bruce Howard Kremin 364 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:19.400 disappeared and still missing. February fourteenth, nineteen eighty eight. Albert 365 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:24.680 O'Leary still missing from the Angelus National Forest. Then January 366 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:30.400 twenty five, twenty sixteen, George Serrano Zaldivar went missing and 367 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:36.319 is still missing. May one, twenty sixteen, Michael Patrick Flynn 368 00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:41.960 missing from the Angelus National Forest, still missing. These cases 369 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:46.680 provide powerful, undeniable evidence that the Angelus National Forest is 370 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:51.160 a high risk environment. The variety of cases, accidents, homicides, 371 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:55.079 and complete mysteries all share a common element the Angelus 372 00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:59.480 National Forest itself. It's steep terrain contributed to the fatal 373 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:03.799 crash of Manzano and Edwards, its remoteness provided cover for 374 00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:08.000 the demise of pandelios and the disappearance of a jay, 375 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:12.799 and its sheer scale and ruggedness have to date defeated 376 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:17.240 all attempts to find Nutzel and now Monica Reza. This 377 00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:20.440 history serves as a somber warning that the forest demands 378 00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:25.200 a level of respect and preparation that is too often underestimated, 379 00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:29.359 with each new case reinforcing its reputation as a place 380 00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:33.480 where the line between adventure and tragedy is easily crossed. 381 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:38.200 The case in Monica Reza remains suspended in the vast, 382 00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:43.200 indifferent wilderness of the Angeles National Forest. And experienced sixty 383 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.920 year old hiker, she stepped into the mountains for a 384 00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:50.640 routine weekly outing on June twenty second, twenty twenty five, and, 385 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:54.119 for reasons that remained entirely unknown, vanished from the trail 386 00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:57.200 and from the lives of those who do her. Her 387 00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:02.079 disappearance triggered an extraordinary response, a multi agency search operation 388 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:06.359 of immense scale and technological sophistication that scoured the ruggedge 389 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:10.680 rain around Mount Waterman for eight days. Yet the mountain 390 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:15.640 kept its secrets and yielded no clues. The official conclusion 391 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:19.200 of this initial response phase and to transfer the case 392 00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:23.359 to the LASD Homicide Bureau's Missing Persons Unit, marked a 393 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:28.440 somber procedural in to the hope of an imminent rescue. 394 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:32.200 The investigation remains open, however, a file waiting for a 395 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:35.880 new lead, a chance discovery by a future hiker, or 396 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.319 a piece of information that might finally illuminate the events 397 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:42.960 of that Sunday morning. The central questions that arose in 398 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:46.559 the first hours of her disappearance still linger unanswered and 399 00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:50.119 echoing in the public sphere. How and why did she 400 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:54.119 become separated from her companion? What transpired on that ridge 401 00:27:54.119 --> 00:27:58.519