() Ruthey Smith disappeared in March 2022, last seen in a part of Los Angeles known for gang violence and prostitution.

Smith had been working as a prostitute to make ends meet and provide for her young daughter. Her family believes that her sex work, along with the fact that she is a Black woman, has led investigators to take her case less seriously.

On Monday, the family was holding a press conference to keep the case in the public eye and to ask the Los Angeles Police Department to take over from the Long Beach Police Department.

Retired LAPD investigator Moses Castillo told the family believes Smith is still alive and being trafficked.

“The issue here is that the police are dealing with the unsympathetic victim, and I think that’s what’s happening here; they’re not really putting the resources believe they ought to,” Castillo said.

Castillo pleaded with those in the community of human trafficking, including victims and survivors, to please reach out if they know anything about what happened to Smith. Those who don’t want to talk to law enforcement can contact him and remain anonymous, he said.

Smith is believed to be somewhere outside of Southern California, with information suggesting she may have been in Las Vegas at one point and could be in the San Francisco Bay area.