Found Deceased CO - Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, 38, called 911, car stuck in snow, Clear Creek Co, 13 Feb 2022

[GuyfromCanada]

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — Clear Creek County authorities are searching for a woman who is now missing after calling 911 when her car got stuck in snow, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

On the afternoon of Feb. 13, Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, 38, called 911 from the Miner's Candle area of Clear Creek County. She said she was stuck in the snow and was "possibly under duress," according to an alert from CBI.

Deputies responded to the area and found a vehicle, but Tafoya-Deltoro was not there. After an extensive search, they still weren't able to locate her.

The sheriff's office is asking the public for help finding Tafoya-Deltoro.

She is described as a Hispanic woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She stands 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds.

If you see her, call 911 or Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office Lt. Gemillion at 303-679-2354. You can also email crime_tips@clearcreeksheriff.us.

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/ne...-calling-911-for-help-getting-car-out-of-snow

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Sheriff's deputies are searching for 38-year-old Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro, who was last heard from Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

Authorities search for missing woman after her 911 call | 9news.com

 

[Limecat]

What does “under duress” mean in this context? A health issue? Something nefarious? Offering prayers. Stay with your cars, people! Especially if you’ve made contact with rescuers, which is why I wonder about the under duress statement.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

I wonder how long did it take the police to get there? Where would Melinda go?

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Authorities are still searching for a 38-year-old woman who was last contacted Sunday in the Miner's Candle area near Dumont.

Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro has brown hair and brown eyes, and is approximately 5-foot-2 and 160 pounds. She called Clear Creek County 911 from Miner's Candle around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, saying her car was stuck in the snow and she was possibly under duress.

Clear Creek Undersheriff Bruce Snelling said Wednesday morning that he couldn't comment on the nature of her possible duress.

He did clarify that Tafoya-Deltoro doesn't live in the Miner's Candle area, and isn't believed to be a county resident.

Deputies responded to the area Sunday afternoon, after dispatch received her call. They located her vehicle, but couldn't find her. Snelling said CCSO and its partners conducted an "exhaustive, extensive search" of the area both Sunday evening and all day Monday, adding, "We came up with no additional information as to her whereabouts."

The Clear Creek Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation are asking for the public's help locating her, in case she left the area.

Anyone who has seen Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call 911, the Clear Creek Sheriff's Office at 303-679-2354 or email crime_tips@clearcreeksheriff.us.

Woman still missing after calling 911 Sunday in Dumont: Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro is listed as an 'endangered missing person'

 

[EphemerallyAya]

Okay so her car was stuck in snow. Snow. Aka there should have been footprints showing which direction she got out and went, right? Unless she only stepped on the road - and/or got in a car.

I have a really bad feeling about this given it’s been days and she hasn’t claimed her car. Even if no foul play is involved, a medical emergency or frostbite are possibilities.

 

[hibachai]

Log into Facebook

Melinda's FB

 

[Unsolved]

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I wonder if they meant this?

Police investigating body found in area of Gold Camp Trail in Colorado Springs

 

[GraceG]

Colorado Springs area where the body is found is 100 miles from where she went missing.

 

[SimplyCass]

Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro - Google My Maps

Clear Creek County is massive, but it seems that most of it is pretty remote/wilderness.

General question: If she doesn't live in Clear County, where is her normal residence? where was she headed to?

 

[Mystery Curiosity]

She's from about a 30 min drive from where she went missing

 

[Wallendo]

"Duress" generally means under threat or coercion, although LE never specifies the issue. I wonder if she was fleeing from someone she knew, or if a suspicious person was approaching her car.

It is very unusual word choice by LE.

On satellite view of the map, this appears to be a mountainous area and many of the homes seem to have a lot debris in the yards. She was either led astray by GPS, or was in that area to meant a specific person. The vague descriptions given by LE suggest that they know more than they are stating, and may well have a POI in mind.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

“It’s just scary to hear that she got lost in the mountains and then the snowstorm that came through,” Mario Suazo, her brother, told KDVR. “If she got lost it’s pretty hard to make it out of that. We just want her home safe.” Sister Monique Avila said Tafoya-Deltoro’s children ask for her daily. “We just don’t know,” she told KDVR. “It’s the unknown right now.”

https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/nation-world/national/article258734218.html

 

[annpats]

Her car was stuck in snow, she isbmissing, yet there were no footprints from the car???

 

[meanmaryjean]

Her car was stuck in snow, she isbmissing, yet there were no footprints from the car???

Wind erasing them or heavy snowfall obscuring them. Esp. if LE had trouble finding the car in such a vast wilderness.

 

[Wallendo]

https://kdvr.com/news/melinda-tafoya-deltoro-missing-family/

According to this article, the police chose not to let the family listen to her 911 call.

That may be routine procedure, but that bothers me.

 

[GraceG]

Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro's family speaks; woman called 911, missing | FOX31 Denver

According to this article, the police chose not to let the family listen to her 911 call.

That may be routine procedure, but that bothers me.

Colorado has no unusual restrictions on disclosing a 911 call (some states require that officials can't release recordings without a court order finding “that the right of the public to the release of the recording outweighs the privacy interests” of the individual who made the call or any person involved in the incident. That being said it's not at all unusual for LE not to play the actual call for family if it's an active investigation. Transcripts are usually available on request.

 

[mlhenn]

Has there been any updates?

 

[SimplyCass]

Has there been any updates?

None that I can find. Family members tag her in their posts (you can see from her FB page) but not much in way of updates.

Melinda Tafoya-Deltoro's family speaks; woman called 911, missing | FOX31 Denver

According to this article, the police chose not to let the family listen to her 911 call.

That may be routine procedure, but that bothers me.

Some takeaways I have:
- Confirms that she has minor children (there were some FB posts on her wall).
- That she doesn't snowboard or ski, so they don't know why she was in that area
- only her sister and brother are quoted/interviewed? No mention of a partner/SO or the children's father?
- Somewhat general/broad, but some FB comments mentioned that if you're ever stuck in snow, don't leave your car.

I can't figure out what to make of whether she was "distressed" or under "duress." Distressed sounds more 'voluntary', while duress would be suggest another party/someone else was there.

 

[mlhenn]

I apologize in advance. I am very unfamiliar with the area…

What is the likelihood that she’s close to where her car was found and sadly her body just hasn’t been located yet?