Mother of missing woman organizing weekend search party

BARSTOW • The mother of a Barstow woman who has been missing for two weeks is assembling a volunteer search party on Saturday to comb areas in Oro Grande for clues to the case.

Debra Walsh said she had an impromptu idea to open the search to community, having already enlisted friends and family in the effort to locate Leisa Hurst, 30, a mother of two girls who went missing on Jan. 22.

Walsh asked that volunteers meet at a park at 1920 First Street in Oro Grande at 10 a.m. on Saturday to begin the search. She said that she did not know the park’s name specifically, but added that it was off of Route 66 across from the town’s railroad tracks.

“We're searching because the investigation is still going and hope this will break something,” said Walsh, an Arizona resident who is in Barstow caring for Hurst’s children. “There seems to be a lot of people that want to help out there and we wanted to give them the chance to do that.”

Walsh said police told her that the community of Oro Grande would be the best location to search, but said she could not specify why because it could endanger the ongoing investigation. The search party will focus on the town’s parks and nearby riverbed, according to Walsh.

Barstow Police Det. Keith Libby could not be reached Wednesday for comment. Libby said on Monday that local authorities tried to organize a horse-led search party during the weekend but called it off after they could not narrow down an area small enough for the search.

After her disappearance, Hurst’s car was discovered in Hesperia abandoned in the area of Olive Street and Second Street. The orange Honda Element had its windows down and its key was still in the ignition. Police believe Hurst’s cell phone was last used Jan. 22 at 11 p.m. in Hesperia after locating its signal near a cell tower on Mariposa Road.

Libby said on Monday that the invesgation was moving “slow but steady.” Since Hurst’s disappearance, police have focused their attention on Jeami Chiapulis, a Helendale man investigators say had a romantic relationship with Hurst and may have further connection to her disappearance.

Chiapulis checked himself into the psychiatric ward of an unidentified hospital on Jan. 26. As of Monday, Chiapulis was still a patient at the hospital, Libby said.

“We are gaining more evidence every day that indicates that he has involvement in her going missing, but so far he's not saying anything,” Libby said on Monday.

Detectives found evidence they said strongly linked Chiapulis to Hurst’s dissapearance after searching his home twice, Libby said, but the man has not been named as a suspect.

Anyone who may have information regarding the case is asked to contact Det. Keith Libby at 760-256-2211. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME or leave information on the WE-TIP Web site at www.wetip.com.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or
cnguyen@desertdispatch.com

How to Help
Search party for Leisa Hurst
Saturday, 10 a.m.
1920 First Street, Oro Grande
Please bring: Water bottles, walking shoes