Urgent Search Underway for At-Risk 24-Year-Old Woman Missing from Sacramento in Northern California

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is requesting public assistance in locating a 24-year-old woman who went missing Monday near Nevada City.

Esmeralda Marie Pineda was last seen in a mining claim camp along the Yuba River’s middle fork and Sweetland Creek, some five miles northwest of Nevada City, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

She was wearing a black hoodie, flowered leggings, tennis shoes, and a black Swiss backpack, according to sheriff’s officials.

“She is from Sacramento and may be trying to return to the area,” said Ashley Quadros, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

Pineda is 5-foot-8 and weighs 169 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. According to the news release, she is classified as an at-risk individual.

The Sheriff’s Office and its search and rescue team were aggressively searching for her. Anyone with information on Pineda’s whereabouts or how to find her is asked to contact the sheriff’s Regional Dispatch Center at 530-265-7880.