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Volunteers gather in Globe to look for 21-year-old Isabella Comas
Roughly 100 people including volunteers and investigators are searching the Globe area for the missing 21-year-old who was last seen in Avondale three weeks ago. FOX 10's Megan Spector spent the day with the search party as they continue looking for answers in her disappearance.
GLOBE, Ariz. - The search for Isabella Comas continues as the community steps up to find the 21-year-old, who was reported missing on Jan. 11 in Avondale.
What we know:
Comas’ boyfriend, Tommy Rodriguez, has been indicted on charges related to her disappearance. Police evidence suggests he stole and damaged her car. On Friday, Rodriguez entered a not guilty plea in court.
The search for Comas is now moving east, with volunteers and investigators focusing on the Globe area, after surveillance footage captured a man matching Rodriguez's description driving Comas' car the day after she disappeared.
Isabella Comas, 21, and Tommy Rodriguez, 39
Local perspective:
While police continue their work, the community is taking action by joining the search with a clear mission: bring Isabella home.
Spread out across the Globe-Miami area, community members joined a search party to help locate her.
"We’ve seen on Facebook that this girl was missing, Isabella was missing, and that there's a possibility she could be up here in our area," said community member Christine Duarte. "So we could not have a Saturday without coming in and contributing our work and efforts to try and locate her."
Another volunteer, Ryan McLagan, described the terrain the teams are covering.
"We've been up through, up to the base, all the mountains behind us back here," McLagan said. "You saw we were just walking to the wash here to see if we could look down and then we're going to head out towards wheat fields. Some of the roads, dirt roads, trails out there."
Dig deeper:
Evidence in the case has led police specifically to Globe. Chris Castorena with Arizona Private Investigation Services said the effort involves specialized equipment.
"We have dirt bikes out here, side-by-sides. We had drones. We have dogs. We have specialty teams for tomorrow if need be for the lakes," Castorena said. "Everyone has their own zones from Globe to Miami. Tomorrow, we'll be searching down the highways, off the cliffs."
What they're saying:
Strangers and close friends alike are participating in the search. Trinity, a close friend of Comas, said she was the one who originally reported her missing.
"Bella was my closest friend. I went from seeing her every day to just nothing," Trinity said. "I know that I won't get the closure that I need until she's found or at least something to give us any type of date on what's going on."
The searchers remain united by a single goal, despite the distance from Comas' home.
"I have four children and 16 grandchildren, and I would want someone to help me if my daughter was missing," Duarte said.
What's next:
The private investigator organizing the effort said about 100 people joined the search on Saturday, and those efforts are expected to continue.
The Source: This information was gathered from previous reports, and by FOX 10's Megan Spector, who spoke with members of the community searching for Isabella Comas on Jan. 31.