‘She Is Loved': Family Extends Message to Missing Oceanside Woman

The Oceanside police are asking for the public's help finding a woman who is missing and may be at risk.

Sara Celeste Otero, 28, was described by the Oceanside Police Department as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds. She has a flower tattoo on her arm, and “It’s in Our Nature” tattoo on her right bicep and a Winnie the Pooh tattoo on one of her ankles.

According to police, she was last seen on Friday, Jan. 28, at 8:40 a.m., when she left her mother's house in the 1800 block of Aldernay Court while driving a charcoal gray Subaru Outback with license plate 7GAB955. At the time, she was wearing a green military-style jacket and bronze-colored leggings.

In a photo provided by police she is wearing glasses and has brown hair with blonde highlights. Police said on Friday that she worked in several different locations around Oceanside. According to a flyer distributed by OPD, Otero's family believes she may have gone beach camping in her SUV. Otero's family also said she was known to visit Desert Hot Springs, Calif., and Joshua Tree State Park.

Otero's step-brother Ryan Bear told NBC 7 Otero has "taken space" before, but always stayed in touch.

"She stopped responding so I started texting my family and realized something was up pretty immediate after she stopped responding for about four hours," Bear said.

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Bear said his step-sister has been battling depression but expressed recently that she "felt like things were starting to improve.”

"She is loved. She does have a core group of family and friends that truly care about her and we just want to see her safe and sound," Bear said.

Speaking to Otero, Bear added, "I care about you tremendously. Your family cares about you tremendously. We just want to see you home safe and sound."

Anyone with information on Otero's location was asked to call the OPD at 760-435-4900.