PALOMAR MOUNTAIN — Human remains found along a road leading to Palomar Mountain are not believed to be connected to the disappearance of an Oceanside woman missing since July, authorities said.
A volunteer search and rescue team found the remains in an embankment around 4:30 p.m. Aug. 12 near the 33000 block of South Grade Road in Pauma Valley, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
The Oceanside Police Department confirmed Thursday that authorities do not currently believe the remains belong to Angelica Brophy, 44, whose disappearance last month has drawn widespread attention.
“At this time, the remains are not believed to be Oceanside missing person Angelica Brophy,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation into the remains. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the identity of the person and the cause and manner of death.
The sheriff’s office is in contact with Oceanside police, which has been communicating with Brophy’s family. Authorities said there is no known threat to the community.
Brophy was last seen on the afternoon of July 6 at Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center and was reported missing that night. Her unoccupied vehicle was found July 9 in a parking lot at Palomar Mountain State Park, a few miles from where the remains were discovered.
Early attempts to track Brophy’s cellphone were unsuccessful because the device was either turned off or had a dead battery, according to Oceanside police.
The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team led an extensive search for Brophy in the rugged area surrounding the state park. The effort included a California State Parks dive team searching a pond, along with personnel from the U.S. Border Patrol and Oceanside police.
Canine teams from the San Diego Police Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service also assisted.
Investigators later developed new leads that prompted three additional targeted searches in the park, but crews were unable to locate Brophy.
The investigation into her disappearance remains active.
Anyone with information about Brophy’s whereabouts can contact Oceanside police Detective Ryan Malone at 760-435-4537 or the department’s anonymous tip line at 760-435-4730.
Anyone with information about the discovery of the remains can contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit at 858-285-6330 or, after hours, at 858-868-3200. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
