"[Richardson] was sighted by somebody who actually knew her and had a personal relationship with her. That individual is very confident that the person he approached in the Rio Hotel that day was Mitrice Richardson."
The 25-year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate was arrested in Malibu on Sept. 16 after she apparently acted oddly at Geoffrey's Malibu restaurant and didn't pay her bill.
Richardson suffers from bipolar disorder. She was released from the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station later that night without her car, purse or cell phone. The sheriff's department has been criticized for releasing her in the middle of the night without evaluating her mental health.
Her disappearance triggered several massive searches of the canyons in the Malibu area. Richardson's family and friends have also conducted searches.
Richardson's father, Michael Richardson, said he contacted authorities after spotting a woman he believed was his daughter.
"Jumped out of this truck, almost get hit by a car, by the time I get to where she was at, she was gone," he said.
Both of Richardson's parents have filed lawsuits against the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Her mother said she's worried her daughter is being held by someone against her will.
The sheriff's department said Richardson is not in any trouble - they just want to hear from her.
"Ms. Richardson, you're not in trouble," L.A. County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. "You're not subject to arrest. People are just concerned about you, and we'd like you to contact us."
