AUTHORITIES SEARCH FOR RED BANK WOMAN
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
Authorities have confirmed that Thursday’s “police operation” in the area of the Upper Navesink River in Red Bank was part of an on-going investigation for a Bank Street woman who went missing last week.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said it had launched an investigation, along with Red Bank and Eatontown police, into the whereabouts of 26-year-old Viridiana Beltran-Gomez, right.
Beltran-Gomez was last seen leaving her job at Siena Grill on Shrewsbury Avenue on Thursday, May 12. She is believed to have last been with her estranged husband, Oscar Enrique Prior-Ramirez, left, of Eatontown, the Prosecutor’s Office said in a release. She was reported missing to Red Bank police the following day.
Relatives describe Beltran-Gomez as a fair-skinned Latina, about five-feet-two-inches tall and weighing 115 pounds with dyed blonde hair and hazel eyes.
Prior-Ramirez was last known driving a tan 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
The office’s confirmation of the search comes nearly 30 hours fter authorities launched what at the time they classified only as a “police operation” at the foot of River Street, using a boat, search dog and helicopter that traveled up and down the Swimming River and Navesink River area.
May 20, 2011 @ 21:58:04
Our prayers tonight are for the safe return of our neighbor.
Perhaps this is not the time for such asides..but shortly after reading this story the first time, I noticed an email on my iPhone from Red Bank’s C3 alert system, designed to give “emergency notification and public notices” to residents and for which taxpayers pay quite a hefty sum. Of course, I assumed it was an attempt to employ the public’s help in finding our lost neighbor. Just the kind of thing this system is designed for.
But no. When I opened the email I saw it was not an appeal for the public’s help in this case. Rather, it was an announcement that the mayor will be holding an “informal meeting with constituents” tomorrow just a block from this missing woman’s home.
I will not second guess the prosecutor’s decision to wait a week to ask for the public’s help. They may have their reasons and there’s nothing worse than armchair detectives on internet message boards. But once they do, shouldn’t all the tools available at least be employed to find our lost neighbor?
May 20, 2011 @ 22:22:53
I am wondering if a white 26 year old girl was missing from Red Bank it would take a week to hear about it? A missing person is a missing person. If she’s been missing since Friday, I think notice should have gone out much faster than it has. Just my opinion.
May 21, 2011 @ 13:27:35
Por favor solicitamos su ayuda para localizar a Viridiana Beltran Gomez, es hija de mi Prima Aracely Gomez, debe encontrarse en algun lugar de Estados Unidos, envien un email a todos sus contactos de esta noticia con su foto para ver si alguien en algun lugar puede ayudar. Please help us to find this girl it is my cousin’s daugther, please forward this notice to all your contacts. It will be appreciated. Good Bless you all !!!
May 21, 2011 @ 23:48:39
I am translating the above message in the hopes that it reaches the most people possible-
It reads: We are asking for help in finding Viridiana Beltran Gomez, who is the daughter of my cousin Aracely Gomez, she should be located somewhere in the U.S. Please send emails to all your contacts with this news and the accompanying photo in case someone has seen her and can help.
May 22, 2011 @ 09:00:40
Is her husband in custody ?
May 27, 2011 @ 11:53:28
Please do not let this story get lost. Please continue to follow up and ask questions. I do not believe that this story is getting enough attention in the media.
Our neighbor is missing and I continue to worry for her family and her kids. I have been hoping that at this point, we would have had more information about the whereabouts of her ex-husband and whether he is considered a suspect.