A Salinas woman went missing three years ago. Her family continues to seek answers.

Katie Rodriguez here. Today marks the three-year anniversary of the disappearance of Arelie Garcia, a 25-year-old woman from Salinas whose car was found in Big Sur near the Little Sur River Bridge, more than 50 miles south of her home and work. 

For her family, today marks 1,096 days of heartbreak, unanswered questions, and no justice. On the day she went missing, a Thursday, she was supposed to be at work when her sisters saw that she was in Big Sur using the “Find My” app. Her purse, phone and keys were found inside her car.

The Salinas Police Department and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team initially joined together to search for her on the day of her disappearance, using search dogs, drones and a helicopter to no avail. 

Over the years Garcia’s family has found little new information, but continue to search for leads and raise awareness. Last year, they organized a march at the Salinas Amtrak station on Market Street, as well as worked to raise funds to pay for a billboard with her photo in hopes of triggering someone's memory of where they may have seen her.

A short documentary, produced by Jessica De La Torre in collaboration with Garcia’s sisters, has been created in Arelie’s name to continue momentum. The project, funded by the Arts Council for Monterey County, includes interviews with one of Arelie’s sisters, Veronica, accompanied by footage from last year’s march, vigil and fundraisers the family has done to continue to search for more information.

In an open letter from the Garcia sisters, they write:

“Our parents have endured three years of heartache, waking up each morning not knowing if their daughter is safe, what happened to her, or if they will ever see her again. No parent should live with that kind of silence.”

You can watch their short video here.

Arelie is 28 years old, 5-foot-6 with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Edwin Cruz with the Salinas Police Department at 758-7393 or the anonymous tip line at 775-4222. They’ve also created a Facebook page (Find Arelie Garcia), an Instagram account (@areliegarcia_2022) and a website (areliegarcia.com).