Search intensifies for missing Langley mother, teacher Naomi Onotera
Posted September 2, 2021 6:27 pm.
Last Updated September 3, 2021 1:08 am.
LANGLEY (NEWS 1130) — The search for Naomi Onotera, a mother and school teacher missing in Langley, is being taken over by the serious crime unit, with an air search planned for the coming days.
Onotera was last seen leaving her home near 200 Street and 50 Avenue Saturday night. Police have appealed to people who live in the area, or who were driving through for any security or dashcam footage captured between 6 p.m. on Aug. 28 and 7 a.m. on Aug. 29.
Corp. Holly Largy says Onotera’s disappearance is “extremely concerning,” and completely out of character. However, she is also urging people not to speculate on what may have happened, emphasizing no suspects have been identified.
“We’re trying to conduct an investigation where we interview people, and oftentimes what happens is people will read something, and then sort of take it on as their own memory as opposed to drawing from what they actually know,” she tells NEWS 1130 Thursday.
“It can just really damage an investigation. We’d like to encourage people to refrain from commenting on social media. Words of encouragement to the family are much appreciated, obviously, but any accusations that are being thrown around out there just caused distress.”
https://twitter.com/LangleyRCMP/status/1433122069282234371
Largy explains that assigning the file to the serious crime unit was done for procedural and practical reasons, and that people should not draw any conclusions from the move.
“It isn’t necessarily an indication of a major crime,” she says, adding detectives in the unit are better equipped to handle this kind of ongoing investigation than the duty officers who first took the missing persons call.
“There are a number of people that are working on it because it’s still very concerning that this young woman is missing.”
RELATED: Community search for missing Langley woman gets help from Trina Hunt’s family
Search and rescue crews were planning on searching waterways, but did not have the necessary equipment or staff, so police will be searching instead.
“We are going to endeavour to have an air search done, to have an unmanned aircraft go up and do a search of the area to look for Naomi,” Largy says.
The exact timing of this isn’t yet known.
Meantime, a Facebook group dedicated to organizing community searches and putting up posters has grown to 3,600 people.
