Family members and search parties with the Sierra LaMar volunteer team are scouring local neighborhoods to help find missing Noemi “Mimi” Coolbaugh.
Coolbaugh left her sister’s home on the 700 block of Sixth Street June 22 without her purse or cell phone and did not return. Since then, Coolbaugh’s husband, Steve, said he paid $4,000 helicopter search and hired private detectives, who could not locate her. They family even scoured trails along Mt. Madonna—with no clues. Santa Clara County search and rescue crews conducted a search, and a detective was assigned to the case.
“This is a nightmare for us,” said her sister, Myran Flores, described by family members as “very close” to the now missing Coolbaugh.
Coolbaugh’s loved ones said they’re not giving up. The family is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the mother’s whereabouts. On July 1, volunteer search crew members for Sierra LaMar set up a command center at Flores’ home before setting off to Christmas Hill Park for search efforts around a five-mile radius.
According to Flores, in days prior Coolbaugh showed signs of manic depression. Since hearing of her 19-year-old son’s diagnosis with bipolar disorder, her mental clarity was nonexistent, said family members including Anna Aguilar and mother Adela Aguilar. According to Flores, her sister lost significant weight prior to the event and frequently discussed suicide in the days preceding her disappearance. Her husband said she was taken to Kaiser facilities and being prescribed Prozac.
Despite suicidal thoughts, family members aren’t ruling out foul play. Coolbaugh’s family said it’s unlike their sibling to disappear without notice. Her husband said he thought that she would at least contact their son beforehand.
“I would’ve expected that we found her body by now,” Coolbaugh said. “My gut says she’s still alive somewhere. I’m holding onto that and hoping that (the private detective) is right.”
The husband of 23 years cooperated Sonoma County-based Systems1 and recounted the memory of his last text. Its Christian-based theme left him with no indication that she would consider suicide, he said. Flores described the incident as both “shocking” and “unreal.”
“This is so unlike her,” Flores said. “She’s by the rules: shy, quiet and afraid to communicate.”
According to Myrna, her sister was one of seven siblings, many of whom live in southern California and France and who would be coming to town in the coming days. Many don’t know whether they’re coming for a funeral or to join search efforts, Flores said.
Carla Ramm, a volunteer with the Find Sierra LaMar search team, said she stepped up to assist in helping volunteers mobilize since they had no prior experience with searches.
Ramm said family members appeared sleep-deprived, exhausted and teary-eyed. The group planned to give family members grid maps.
“They were just really frustrated,” Ramm said.
According to Gilroy Police Department Sergeant Pedro Espinoza, police remain on the lookout for Coolbaugh.
“We’re helping them as much as we possibly can,” Espinoza said. “We’re worried about her and we’re concerned about her safey, and it’s just very troubling to us that she’s been missing this long without a purse at this point.”
Ramm said volunteers passed out missing posters to local businesses, homeless encampments and other locations where she might be.
Description
Police described Coolbaugh as five feet five inches tall, roughly 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She is possibly wearing glasses, and her hair is possibly darker than it appears in the photo, police said. She was last seen wearing a tan baseball cap, sunglasses, dark blue zippered jacket, tan Capri-style pants and light blue tennis shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to call Gilroy Police Department at 408-846-0350.
