October 28, 2021
YUCCA VALLEY, California—Human remains found in Yucca Valley earlier this month were identified as 30-year-old missing New Jersey woman Lauren Cho, reports KTLA5.
The San Bernardino County coroner positively identified the remains, but the cause and the manner of her death are still being determined.
The toxicology results are available in this press release.
30-year-old Lauren “El” Cho was last seen on June 28 walking away from a home on Benmar Trail where she had been staying with her former partner. The couple took a cross-country trip to California to chase her dreams of becoming a chef.
Authorities say Cho’s then-ex-boyfriend told them she walked away from the compound at around 5 p.m., leaving behind personal belongings after “suffering from mental distress.”
Extensive searches by air and ground were conducted with no sightings, according to ABC7.
This weekend, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department crews found human remains in an area described as “rugged terrain of the open desert of Yucca Valley.”
Feature Image via KTLA5