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Long Beach Police Hope Tip Will Lead Them To Grave Of Woman Who Vanished In 2000

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com/AP) — Long Beach police say a woman who vanished 16 years ago met with foul play and they'll hunt for her body in the desert 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

Detectives will travel to Ridgecrest in Kern County on Thursday to dig for the remains of 27-year-old Diana Rojas.

Rojas was last seen in her Long Beach apartment in October of 2000. She had just handed over her 2-year-old daughter to her estranged husband for visitation.

Evidence at the apartment suggested foul play, police said, but no arrests were made.

Her boss and fiance both said they suspected foul play.

"I know something's wrong," her boyfriend, David Howard, told CBS2 shortly after her disappearance in 2000.

Police say an anonymous tip earlier this year, followed by satellite imagery and the use of cadaver dogs, have narrowed down an area where she might be buried.

Police don't have a suspect in the presumed homicide. Although Rojas was going through a divorce, her estranged husband isn't considered a suspect.

Relatives on Wednesday asked for public help in solving the case.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

 

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