It’s been three weeks, and Redondo Beach resident Emily Espinosa is still missing. Espinosa disappeared on Wednesday, July 22, around 8 a.m., shortly after her mother, Krista Valdez, dropped her off at Mira Costa High School, where Emily was attending summer school classes.
Internet rumors speculate that Emily ran away from home to go to Idaho with her boyfriend. Redondo Beach Police Department Sgt. Shawn Freeman dismissed that, saying that there’s no indication that she’s there. They do believe that Emily has run away from home. “There’s nothing yet to substantiate that her disappearance is something of a nefarious nature,” Freeman said.
Matt Valdez, Emily’s stepfather, doesn’t agree. “It’s been a little too long for her to just be a runaway,” he said. “We don’t think she’s run away, we think she’s gone missing.”
The family, he said, has gotten substantial support in their search, with social media continuing to light up with his daughter’s face. “We would just ask that the community continue to share,” he said.
While Emily’s disappearance has taken a toll on both him and his wife, it’s been doubly difficult explaining it to Emily’s two sisters. “Both are asking about her every day, and it hurts my wife and I to know that we can’t give them answers.”
Espinosa is 5’8”, 115 lbs., with shoulder-length brown hair and hazel eyes. If anyone has any information as to her whereabouts, they are asked to call RBPD at 310-379-2477.
