Police on scene at home of missing Langley woman

LANGLEY (NEWS 1130) — Police cars were parked on Tuesday outside the Langley home of Naomi Onotera, a mother and teacher who has been missing since late August.

Several officers, including police dogs, were seen Monday night, appearing to search the property late Monday night with flashlights. By morning, neighbours could see crime scene tape up near the home but there are no details from RCMP as to the nature of the search, nor whether there are any updates on this two-week old missing person’s case.

Onotera, a 40-year-old mother and teacher-librarian, was last seen by her husband, as she left their home near 200 St. and 50 Ave. on Saturday, Aug. 28. Her mother reported her missing the following day.

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.

Related articles:

• ‘We just want her back’: Family, community reeling after disappearance of Naomi Onotera

• Community search for missing Langley woman gets help from Trina Hunt’s family

Neighbours in Langley have not been saying much. But one woman who lives next to the home, which is now behind police tape, says she’s never met Onotera and doesn’t ever remember seeing her outside.

Several posters featuring a picture of the missing mother have been taped to mailboxes and street signs, urging anyone with information to contact police.

At the nearby Sendall Gardens there are more poignant reminders Naomi Onotera is still missing.
Her home is little more than a block away. pic.twitter.com/AAxf1McWLi

— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) September 14, 2021

On Monday, Langley RCMP released images of Onotera’s car, in hopes of helping investigators retrace the missing woman’s steps.

Onotera reportedly left without her car, but investigators say they are sharing these images in an attempt to piece together a timeline of her actions beginning Aug. 25.

Her car is a white 2018 Subaru Crosstrek with a “Greater Vancouver Zoo” sticker in the front window on the passenger side.

Langley RCMP have shared images of Naomi Onotera’s car, in the hopes it will help investigators piece together a timeline leading up to her Aug. 28, 2021 disappearance. (Left image submitted to NEWS 1130, right image courtesy Langley RCMP)

Onotera has an 18-month-old daughter and teaches at Surrey’s Katzie Elementary School. She is described as 5’9″ tall, weighs 150 lbs, has long brown hair and brown eyes.

Her disappearance has been an overwhelming shock to her family.

Volunteers in the community, organizing online through a Facebook group, have blanketed parts of the Lower Mainland with posters pleading for information to help locate Onotera.

The outpouring of support, both online and in-person, is something her sister, Kirsten Kerr, says has been “invaluable” as the family struggles.

“It’s been surreal, and our whole family’s worst nightmare. We never expected anything like this to ever happen. We just miss her a lot. We just want to see her again, we want to have holidays with her, we want to have summers with her,” Kerr previously told NEWS 1130.

Dozens of people attended a candlelight vigil for Onotera on Sept. 5.

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Langley RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit is handling the case, but Corp. Holly Largy has said this move was for procedural and practical reasons and warned people against drawing any conclusions.

“It isn’t necessarily an indication of a major crime,” she previously told NEWS 1130, 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 articles:

• Candlelight vigil held in Langley for missing mother Naomi Onotera

• Online speculation distressing for family of missing Langley woman, not helpful to investigation: police

If you need help downloading video surveillance or dashcam footage that could help in the investigation, or you’ve already done so, you are asked to call the Langley RCMP tip line at 604-532-3398 and leave a message.

If you have a tip that needs an immediate response, you should call the non-emergency line at 604-532-3200.

With files from Lisa Steacy