Cheryl Jean Moser, 69, was last seen at her residence in Dana Point around 8 a.m. Tuesday. Officials said she was headed to a Verizon store to see if her wet iPhone could be fixed, but she never came home.
After she disappeared, several unexplained charges showed up on her credit card. At about 8 a.m. Wednesday, Moser was seen on surveillance camera footage at a Mobil gas station near the 133 Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. She was seen with an unidentified man, who police are now calling a person of interest.
Investigators described the person of interest as a white or Hispanic man, standing about 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8 with tattoos and a thing build.
"We don't know who he is, and according to family members, they don't know who he is," said Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. "He's obviously much younger, he's heavily tattooed, and there's no known reason why this 69-year-old woman would be with this man."
Investigators say Moser's two small dogs were with her and are also missing, as well as her silver 2008 Toyota Prius, with California plates 6DRW653. In the surveillance video, a spare tire could be seen on the Prius.
"She's gotten older, 69 years old, she wasn't as sharp as she used to be, but she's never not come home or not arrived where she was supposed to," said Moser's son, Brian Johnson.
Moser's credit card was used Wednesday at a 76 gas station in Pomona.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Orange County Sheriff's Department at (714) 628-7170.
