Police are searching for a Chinese woman who travelled to the US to meet a friend she met online before they both went missing.
The woman, identified as 47-year-old Jin Fang, has reportedly been missing since the end of July.
Jin came to the US State of California as a tourist on 14th July, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD).
Police said she took a train from Los Angeles to the Palm Springs area where she was picked up by 52-year-old John Root Fitzpatrick, whom she met online a few months back.
Fitzpatrick was reportedly supposed to show Jin around the Morongo Basin area.
The two travelled together and planned to go to Joshua Tree National Park in California together.
Jin reportedly sent photos with Fitzpatrick to relatives and friends during the trip.
But her family suddenly lost contact with her on 22nd July.
They could not reach her on the phone and she suddenly stopped posting on social media.
As of 24th July, she was officially reported missing.
Fitzpatrick – reportedly an American veteran with a criminal record and a suspended sentence for assault – was reported missing by a friend on 30th July.
He is last known to have been driving a blue Toyota Tacoma with a California license plate 24478S1.
Ms Cui, a local Chinese who assisted the police in the search for the two, said that Jin lives in Guangdong, south-eastern China and can speak some English.
She claimed that this was Jin’s first visit to the United States, and she carried thousands of pounds in cash when she set off.
SBCSD spokesperson Mara Rodriguez told US media: “They were supposed to go camping, but the amount of time was not disclosed.
“There are both still listed as voluntary missing. The investigation is ongoing at this time.”
The SBCSD added this is not a criminal investigation at this time and there are no suspects.
Jin’s parents and daughter who live in China said that they could not travel to the US to help in the search and they felt very helpless.
They initiated a fundraising effort on multiple websites to raise USD 10,000 (GBP 7,880) as a reward for tippers who offer any information about her.
