A search for a pair of missing hikers in Joshua Tree National Park is going into its fourth day today. According to park spokesman George Land, Rachel Nguyen, 20, and Joseph Orbeso, 21, of Westminster, were supposed to have checked out of their AirBnB rental home by 11 a.m. Friday. When the owner checked on the home Friday, the couple and their car were missing, but all their belongings were still there. The owner then reported them missing to the Sheriff’s Department. Land said deputies traced Orbeso’s cell phone and a ping was recorded at 4 p.m. Thursday inside the park. The couple’s car was found in a parking area for the Maze Loop trail, just inside the Joshua Tree entrance to the park. Park rangers and searchers from Joshua Tree Search and Rescue, the Sheriff’s Department, and the Highway Patrol, along with help from helicopters and search dogs, have been searching trails in the area but have found no signs of the missing hikers. The dogs have reportedly signaled an interest in a rocky area that will be searched today. Anyone who has seen the couple, or who has information on their whereabouts, should call 909-383-5652.
