Gilroy

South Bay family's daughter goes missing in Oregon

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A South Bay family is in Portland, Oregon, desperately searching for any sign of their missing daughter.

Wilma Acosta, 28, moved from San Jose to Portland in September, but she vanished on Nov. 26.

Martin and Wilma Acosta of Gilroy have been walking the streets of downtown Portland, putting up fliers with pictures of their daughter Wilma.

They said Wilma was last seen early in the morning on Nov. 26 leaving the Dixie Tavern alone after spending a night out with friends.

Wilma's best friend, Manny Luna Medel of Gilroy, was with Wilma at the bar on the night she disappeared. He said she stayed at the bar after he left.

"That was the last time I saw her, going back inside Dixie Tavern," he said.

He said when he woke up the next morning and Wilma had not returned to her apartment, he tracked the location of her phone and found it about three blocks away from the tavern at the Japanese American Historical Plaza along the riverfront.

Wilma's father said he's trying to stay strong.

"Trying to keep the faith going and believe that, my daughter, we will see her again," he said. "It's just very hard."

Wilma's brother, Michael Lopez, recently returned to Gilroy after taking part in the search.

"I’m feeling helpless," he said. "I want to help her."

He said Wilma moved to Portland to start a new job as a phlebotomist at Kaiser Permanente. He said she was happy at work and had just adopted a dog.

"She was excited about everything that she was doing," he said.

The Portland Police Bureau said it is investigating the case but so far has no indication of foul play.

Lopez is not convinced.

"There’s no way that she would do a no-call or no-show at work," he said. "There’s no way she would just stop communicating like that."

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