Duo vanish after weekend trip to car show in Nevada, California police say

A California man and woman are missing after taking a trip to a Nevada car show, according to police.

Juan Almanza Zavala, 36, and Janette Pantoja, 29, told family they were going to Hot August Nights in Reno on Sunday, Aug. 7, with plans to return that evening, the Yuba City Police Department said in an Aug. 11 news release. They never made it home.

Pantoja’s older sister, Alejandra Pantoja, told KTXL she feels “like a wreck.”

“I feel like I just have to keep looking,” she told the outlet.

After the two didn’t return home, their families reported them missing to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department and Yuba City Police Department, officials said.

After pinging the pair’s cellphones, police said their last known location was in Nevada County. The sheriff’s office did not find them after checking the area.

Police said they believe they were “driving a Blue 2002 Ford Explorer (4SNS072).”

“I just want her to know that we’re searching for her and that, hopefully, we get her home safe and that she’s OK,” Alejandra Pantoja told KTXL.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 530-822-4661.

This story was originally published August 12, 2022 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Duo vanish after weekend trip to car show in Nevada, California police say."

Daniella Segura

McClatchy DC

Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.