SPOTTED

Small Clue Leads Police Chief to Missing Woman’s Body

Jolissa Fuentes had been missing for two months when the Selma Police Department chief spotted something on the ground.

The body of Jolissa Fuentes has been found after she went missing Aug. 7 without a trace. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Selma Police Department confirmed the discovery in a press conference on Wednesday, noting that Selma Police Department Chief Rudy Alcaraz made the find near Pine Flat Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills of eastern Fresno County on Monday. Chief Alcaraz initially spotted a clue: old tire tracks and vehicle debris “that went through vegetation and off a cliff.” He subsequently contacted the Fresno County Sheriff's Office and requested that members of the search and rescue team respond to the site. After using drones, deputies rappelled down more than 400 feet off the roadway and discovered a damaged car. The vehicle belonged to Jolissa Fuentes. Human remains and some of Fuentes’ personal belongings were discovered in the ravine. Recovery efforts continued into Tuesday, with authorities believing Fuentes was involved in a traffic collision before her vehicle subsequently veered off the road. The coroner’s office is working to confirm her identity and police said no foul play is suspected.