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The mother of Danielle Staley, a Utah woman who mysteriously disappeared in California this month, has alleged that her daughter’s boyfriend of 13 years has a history of abuse.
According to CrimeOnline, 35-year-old Staley was last spotted at a bonfire in Aptos, close to Rio Del Mar State Beach, on the night of November 7, around 11:30 p.m.
Authorities in Santa Cruz County have expressed concerns about her safety, suspecting that foul play might be a factor in her disappearance.
As reported by KSBW Action News 8 earlier this week, Staley’s boyfriend, Alx Nunez, 62, has denied any involvement in her vanishing, claiming he is actively participating in the search efforts.
Staley’s family shared with KTLA 5 their belief that Nunez, who was with her at the bonfire, is “extremely abusive” and “manipulative.”
The pair had been staying on the coast, living in a camper, after arriving in the area at the end of October. Police later found her belongings on the beach, and there has been no indication she went into the water.
“We’ve been concerned for years,” her mother, April Miller, said, adding that the pair had been dating on and off for around 13 years.
Meanwhile, Nunez reportedly said he would take a polygraph test, and fears Staley may have had a drug relapse.
“There’s cameras there, there’s a whole private subdivision there that is nothing but cameras, and there has to be some video surveillance of something, cars going in and out at that particular time between about 11 o’clock and about six in the morning,” he told KSBW.
Police have not named Nunez a suspect in Staley’s disappearance, and he is cooperating with the investigation, ABC 7 reports.
Police are asking for security footage taken from Beach Drive, Rio Del Mar Boulevard, or the Esplanade between November 5 and 7.
Staley is described as a white female who stands 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighs 120 pounds, with blond hair. She was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and leopard-print leggings.
Anyone with information regarding Staley’s whereabouts is urged to Santa Cruz County police at 831-471-1121.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help with search expenses.
[Feature Photo: Santa Cruz County police]