Cellphone records in a missing persons case out of Spokane Valley could provide more details about the disappearance, according to court documents.
Loc Nguyen, 24, went missing on Dec. 3. Authorities said she contacted her family and roommate that evening after she finished work. At that time, she said she would be home late but has not been heard from since.
A search warrant for evidence of kidnapping/unlawful imprisonment was issued to search Nguyen’s phone and obtain subscriber billing and account information, devices used, incoming and outgoing call detail records, and incoming and outgoing cell tower records.
According to court documents, there is no suspect at this time.
Nguyen is described as an Asian/Vietnamese woman, 5'3 tall, 105 pounds, with black hair and black/brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a light sweater and jeans.
According to court documents, Nguyen left her place of employment at 1201 N. Monroe Street in Spokane driving her 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. She had a cellphone with service provided by T-Mobile.
On Dec. 3, Nguyen bought alcohol at the Total Wines & More located at Northpoint shopping mall on Newport Highway in Spokane, according to court documents.
On that same day, Nguyen’s phone sent a text to family members that read, “I go to my friends house I will be home late tonight.” This was the last contact Nguyen had with known friends or relatives, according to court documents.
Family members reported Nyguen as a missing person on Dec. 5, according to court documents. On that day, a man found a cellphone lying on the rocks in the Spokane River just off South Mirabeau Parkway. This area is near the Centennial Trail.
According to court documents, the area where the phone was found was well off the footpaths and trails. The man was unable to get into the phone to find an owner, so he took it to T-Mobile in the Spokane Valley Mall.
According to court documents, family members called the phone and determined it belonged to Nguyen.
The phone was locked with a screen code that family members were not able to provide, according to court documents. A Spokane County forensic computer analyst attempted to download the phone for information. Police were only able to download three photos from the phone, according to court documents.
The most recent of the photos was one taken in the 2009 Tiguan showing a woman’s hand, presumably Nguyen, holding a bottle of alcohol. The metadata for the photo showed it was taken in the parking lot of the PetSmart store in the Northpoint mall.
According to court documents, a detective watched video footage showing Nguyen making a purchase from Total Wines. She was alone in the store and drives away in her car with no other vehicle obviously following.
The detective also did not find any indication that someone followed or accompanied Nguyen during her visit to PetSmart, according to court documents.
On Dec. 5, an officer found Nguyen’s car in a parking lot near the Spokane River and the trailhead where the phone was found, according to court documents. The parking lot is in a remote location of the Spokane Valley. The vehicle did not have a key in the ignition.
According to court documents, a search of the vehicle found a purse with more than $100 in cash, an unopened bottle of alcohol and cat treats. No blood, obvious evidence of a crime or car keys were found.
If you have seen Nguyen or know of her location, you are asked to call Crime Check at 509-456-2233 or 911, reference Case No. 10170072.