According to a California Highway Patrol press release, just before noon on Monday, November 30th, for reasons still under investigation, a 2011 Toyota Sienna traveling northbound on US-101, south of Confusion Hill, and collided with a tree.
Officers from the Garberville CHP area responded to the scene and arrived at approximately 12:18pm. One of the occupants identified as Steven Gutierrez, sustained major injuries and was transported from the scene for medical care. Two other occupants, a white female adult identified as Trinity Leigh Bray, and a male juvenile identified as Anthony Florentine-Perez, voluntarily walked away from the scene prior to CHP arrival. Bray and Florentine-Perez were reported walking northbound along US-101 and did not appear to be injured as a result of the collision. Officers searched the surrounding area and businesses and were unable to locate Bray or Florentine-Perez upon arrival.
Garberville CHP was notified by friends and family of Bray’s, she had not made contact nor been seen since the accident. Officers were dispatched to all known current and prior addresses of Bray’s to confirm her and the child’s welfare. A welfare, “Be On the Look Out” was broadcast to adjacent and neighboring law enforcement agencies. CHP Air Operations, officers from the Garberville CHP, and Leggett Valley Fire Department conducted a coordinated air and foot search of the area surrounding the collision scene and were unsuccessful in locating either party. The investigating officer attempted contact with Bray at all known prior contacts and a cellular phone locating ping was initiated to attempt to locate Bray. All attempts were also unsuccessful.
On Friday, December 4th, the CHP Humboldt Communications Center received a report at 11:00am, of a female pedestrian with a juvenile on US-101, north of Leggett, who appeared in distress.
The female pedestrian and the juvenile were confirmed to be Ms. Trinity Leigh Bray and her 3-year-old son upon officers’ arrival, who were last seen walking away from a major injury traffic collision on US-101 near Confusion Hill on Monday, November 30th. Bray and Florentine-Perez, who were since reported as missing and endangered, were found in stable condition and transported to a nearby hospital where they are receiving medical care.
Following the traffic collision on November 30th, Mendocino County Sheriff Department Search and Rescue personnel conducted a comprehensive multi-day search of the area near the traffic collision. The search included a team of search and rescue members on foot, aerial drones, FLIR thermal imaging equipment, a search of the Eel River by Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue, and a CHP helicopter aerial search. A search of the area, which included steep terrain, resulted in no obvious signs of Bray and Florentine-Perez having been in the area.
The CHP is grateful for this positive outcome and is still working to gather details regarding what occurred between the accident and the pair’s discovery.
