Hollister
– The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office has made finding a San
Juan Bautista woman who went missing Monday its top priority, but
the suspicious disappearance continues to stump investigators.
Hollister – The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office has made finding a San Juan Bautista woman who went missing Monday its top priority, but the suspicious disappearance continues to stump investigators.
Kathleen Maki, a 54-year-old property manager with Capital Management Group in Hollister, was last seen leaving her home at 520 Hillside Road in San Juan Bautista Monday afternoon, according to Sheriff’s Department Detective Bryan Penney. Family members told investigators she may have been headed to Gilroy to do some shopping. Six hours after Maki was last seen, an outgoing phone call was placed from her cellular phone, Penney said.
Officials at Verizon Wireless told investigators the call went through the Renz Cellular tower in Gilroy, leading police to believe Maki was within five miles of the tower when the call was made. Penney said he did not know who received the call. Detectives are tracking both her credit card and cell phone usage, but Penney said she has not used either one since 7pm Monday evening.
Penney said Maki’s family and friends “fear for her safety.”
Maki was last seen driving a white 2005 Jeep Cherokee with California License plate number 5PLK132.
“She has never done anything like this before, so it is suspicious,” Penney said. “We have no leads that show any criminal activity or foul play, but it is out of character for her to leave without contacting friends or family.”
Sheriff’s Lt. Roy Iler said the entire department is searching for Maki.
“The investigation division is 100 percent dedicated to this case,” he said. “This is priority No. 1 and we’re not going to stop until she is found.”
Iler said deputies have searched for Maki’s vehicle along San Juan Canyon Road, but failed to turn up any evidence that she had been there. Sheriff’s officials are also working with the Hollister-Gilroy California Highway Patrol in their search for the missing woman, Iler said. A CHP plane flew over San Juan Canyon Road to determine if Maki’s car had driven off the road and into a ravine, but didn’t find anything, Penney said.
Investigators have also been working with Maki’s longtime boyfriend and following several leads in Gilroy. Her boyfriend’s 15-year-old son told detectives that Maki may have been going to Costco in Gilroy, but so far, police have unable to determine if she ever went to the store.
Penney said detectives have also failed to find any evidence at a boat Maki owns, which is housed in the Monterey Marina.
“It’s suspicious and we are taking this very seriously,” he said. “We are using every resource at our disposal to find her.”
Phone calls to Maki’s home and office were not returned Wednesday and her co-workers could not be reached for comment by press time.
Anyone with information about Maki or her whereabouts is urged to contact Penney at the San Benito County Sheriff’s office at 831-636-4080.
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or br******@fr***********.com.
