1-year anniversary of La Crescenta woman’s disappearance marked with renewed call for information
A new $140,000 reward is being offered for information in the case of a missing 21-year-old La Crescenta woman who disappeared last year.
The reward was announced Sunday on the one-year anniversary of Elaine Park’s disappearance. Jayden Brant, a private investigator hired by Park’s family, said the money will hopefully encourage someone to step forward with information that will lead to her whereabouts.
A previous reward of $500,000 was offered in September but failed to generate any concrete leads. That reward expired on Sept. 24.
“Relationships change, circumstances change, maybe now is the time for them to come forward,” Brant said. “If somebody knows something, why not come forward today and not wait six months from now?”
While there have been no major developments in the investigation, the case does remain active with the Glendale Police Department. Sgt. Dan Suttles, a spokesman for the department, said detectives have been searching for new leads in Park’s disappearance.
“Leads have slowed down, but we do follow every one that comes in,” he said.
Park was last seen leaving the Calabasas home of her ex-boyfriend on the morning on Jan. 28, 2017. Her car, a gray, four-door 2015 Honda Civic, was found on Feb. 2 parked along a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, near Corral Canyon Road in Malibu.
Several personal items were found inside the vehicle including her keys, cellphone and laptop.
Authorities conducted an extensive search of the area but were unable to locate any signs of Park or any indication of foul play. The search was eventually suspended after police said there were no new leads or suspects tied to the disappearance.
Instead, the department refocused its investigation on again interviewing Park’s friends and family.
A dead body was discovered Tuesday morning by a hiker in Malibu Bluffs Park not far from where Park’s car was found, but Brant said it was unconnected to the case.
“We were aware of that the moment it happened,” he said. “Due to [the body’s] location, it was certainly interesting and something we looked into immediately.”
Brant said photographs and video footage taken in that area from the morning of Jan. 28, 2017, to the afternoon of Feb. 2, 2017, are being sought to help narrow the timeline of Park’s disappearance. He said there’s a possibility her car was already in Malibu at least two days before it was found abandoned.
“There’s a lot of people around … somebody out there has photos or videos of the moment she arrived,” he said. “It’s just a matter of reaching that person and helping them realize what they have.”
Park is described as 5 feet 6, weighing approximately 125 pounds. At the time of her disappearance, she had long brown hair with blonde tips. She has an image of a cow’s skull tattooed on her upper left arm, as well as a tattoo of an unknown design on the lower part of the same arm.
The deadline to come forward with information and collect the new reward is June 1 at 11:59 p.m. Tips can be left by calling (800) 551-3080 or going online at elainepark.tips.
Glendale police can be contacted at (818) 548-4911.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
