The father of a 19-year-old UC Davis student from Placerville says he hopes that the transfer of her missing persons case from authorities in Sacramento County to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday will bring new energy to the search.
"It's always a worry, will my daughter get left out because she falls between jurisdictional cracks," said Craig Lomax.
His daughter, Linnea Lomax, went missing on June 26 when she left a Howe Avenue mental health facility after 10 days of inpatient therapy. More than 750 people have helped in the search for the university freshman, who the family said had suffered a breakdown several weeks ago while preparing for final exams.
In a statement released Wednesday morning, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said that it was turning over the case to the Lomaxes' home jurisdiction because there's no evidence the missing woman was the victim of foul play in Sacramento County.
"The circumstances of this case suggest that Linnea Lomax is, by all accounts, voluntary 'missing' and choosing to stay away from friends and family," the statement said.
The Sheriff's Department said it will continue assisting with the missing persons case as needed, and Lomax said the family is pleased with the attention Sacramento authorities have given the case.
"For the Sacramento County department, Linnea is one of a huge number of missing persons cases," said Lomax. "The caseload is ridiculous. El Dorado County has a lot smaller number. We might get more attention than we would have. We have a smaller community. There's a sense that this is one of our girls."
Linnea Lomax is 5 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs about 100 pounds and has blue eyes and long, curly blond hair. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweat shirt with "Sweden" in red letters on the front, green pants and flip-flops. Anyone who sees her is asked to call a hotline at (916) 905-HELP.
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