It's now up to volunteers and hikers who've accepted the challenge of searching for 25-year-old Veronica Ruiz.
"The search has been called off, and nobody's really out here, and it can't hurt to come," says one hiker.
Veronica is an agent with the Internal Revenue Service. She disappeared last Monday, two days after she broke up with her boyfriend.
This morning, park rangers led volunteers into Mount Tamapais State Park to pursue a lead; a backpack spotted yesterday similar to one owned by Veronica Ruiz.
"When we went out there this morning, we took the same girls, so we took the same trails that they went on. The ranger went out there and she didn't see anything. She went in the creek and didn't see anything," says Maricris Ruiz, Veronica's sister.
Nearly 200 people were involved in the organized search this weekend. Veronica Ruiz called in sick last Monday and told friends she was going on a hike. She apparently took her service weapon with her.
Her sister, Maricris, has been organizing the volunteer search effort.
"Without any leads, they cannot implement an official search so all we can ask is while people are up there, to be aware and for groups that are avid hikers and mountain bikers to please keep a look out for something. Any clue will help us figure out where she is or find her," says Maricris.
Friends like Khang Nguyen are trying their best to cope with the situation. All they can do is stay strong and continue the effort.
"At this point we just continue to hope. I mean it really; we're trying not to get ahead of ourselves. For the most part it's just another reason to continue."
