Human Remains Discovered in Yucca Valley Amid Search for Missing N.J. Woman

Unidentified human remains have been found in Southern California’s Yucca Valley, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The discovery comes in the midst of an ongoing search for 30-year-old New Jersey native Lauren Cho, who went missing on June 28. The department was conducting “an additional search and rescue operation” for Cho on Saturday when they found the remains in “the rugged terrain of the open desert.” Known as “El” to her friends, Cho was last seen wearing a yellow T-shirt and jean shorts when she vanished from a home in the California desert.

Her ex-boyfriend reported her missing about three hours after she disappeared in June and “indicated she was suffering from mental distress.” Friends said at the time that she had been “upset and presumably walked away from the resort.” She hasn’t been seen since. The identification process for the remains could take several weeks, according to officials. No further information will be released until the body is positively identified.