Searchers in Discovery Park looking for missing UW student

April 13th, 2011 · View Comments

UPDATE 9:30p.m.: The search team may return to the park tomorrow. They will make a determination in the morning.

UPDATE 1:15p.m.: The search continues in Discovery Park. Search dogs found clothing in one area of the park a short time ago but it does not appear to be connected to 18 year old Marizela Perez. The University of Washington student has been missing since March 5 and the clothing appears to have been in the park since before that time.

UPDATE: Our crew at the scene says that three teams of dogs (two from Texas and one from Louisiana) from K-9 Kampus are currently searching in Discovery Park.

The owner of the company says the dogs are exclusively trained to search for human remains. She says the plan is to cover every square inch of the 534 acre park today and tomorrow.

Thanks to Steven Smalley for the photographs and information.

We now know the identity of the woman that searchers are looking for in Discovery Park today. Eighteen year old University of Washington student Marizela Perez has been missing since March 5th. She was last seen at the Safeway store on Brooklyn Ave in the University District according to a website set up by her family. There is video of her in the store from the surveillance cameras.

Perez is described as Asian, 5-foot-5, 110 pounds with a bob hairstyle. She has a tattoo on her left inner arm with the words "lahat ay magiging maayos," Tagalog for "all will be well."

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Tom

Makes you wonder why they’re searching Discovery Park. It seems kind of random.
Your Guy In Magnolia

Question asked. They would not say.
Sadie

This is so sad. I pray the family find some peace.
Lori

On KIRO’s website, it stated that the family “had reason to believe” she had been in Discovery Park due to their involvement with K-9 Kampus & other authorities they are working with. Thus the search.
Sandy

They did find a body today in the park.
Your Guy in Magnolia

I believe you are mistaken. I just received communication from the owner of the dog search firm. They will get together soon to see if the search will resume tomorrow. They wouldn’t consider resuming the search if they had found a body. If you find out something different, post it here, or write: tips@magnoliavoice.com
Tristan7340

????? Are you saying they found a body in the park?
Your Guy in Magnolia

Sandy, Where did you get this?? No one is reporting a body being found. Fill us in.
BicycleJoe

From what I read today- 1.) Several days/weeks ago someone logged into her AIM account using a cell phone but has sent no messages. Some cell phones can be located in a general vicinity while others quite specifically. These facts may have factored into the decision to search DP.
Lori

Methinks Sandy is effing with us. If so…. not COOL. Not cool at all.
ScatCat

So why did they search other parks first before this one? Just saying, if you think shes in park #1, go there first, not park #2 and #3.

I dunno, this kind of smacks of a situation where maybe the girl just wanted to run away. Remember that guy who left his wife and kids a few years back in Queen Anne? Lots of money & time spent on a guy who just simply wanted to start a new life and his wife was in complete denial (and refused to give any money back to folks who donated).

Where are the police in this? Why aren’t they searching? Or do they feel that perhaps this is one of those scenarios where hear disappearance is questionable and maybe she left to elope with a lover? I’m sorry, but when someone goes missing, leave it to the professionals. If they’re bowing out, maybe its for a reason? Of course, it could be that they’re overworked and don’t have the resources – in which case, I totally understand the reason for people pitching in. Where are the police in all of this?
Noforwardsok

This is awful. My heart and prayers go to the family.
Lori

The police ARE involved in this. She was on America’s Most Wanted last night. Check it out…

http://www.FindMarizela.com
http://findmarizela.com/2011/04/
The Riddler

You’re close. It is self-imposed, but not running away.
As for the police, they say they are not investigating this as a crime. If it’s not a crime, then it’s…?
ScatCat

Americas Most Wanted isn’t the police…and I’m sure Michelle Malkin had a lot to do with getting her on there.
ScatCat

So I read around a bit more and it said after her disappearance that she logged into AOL Instant Messenger from a broadband connection (not a cellular phone) briefly in March.

Now, think about this. Someone kidnaps her, and forces her to give up her AIM username and logs in? I dunno, sounds like she was logging in herself willingly. If she was kidnapped, the police would have raided the location where that broadband source IP was from.

Unless of course….no foul play was involved and there’s a lot more to the story and the family is in denial.
Justmeseattle

You should be a detective. Good insight. Now ask yourself, why use dogs trained exclusively to find human remains to conduct this search, yet the police don’t think there’s a crime.
BicycleJoe

Quote-
Marizela’s dad, Edgar, gives an update from Det. Eng of the Seattle Police Department Missing Persons Bureau:

“Per AOL, Emem has been logged-on since March 9 using her cell phone and never logged off. She never sent out any messages either.”

Source-
http://findmarizela.com/
ScatCat

Wow, can we find out what kind of cellular phone shes got? My battery gives up after 3 days or so.
Justmeseattle

Mr. Cat, Have you given up so soon? Put it together. Dogs exclusively trained to find human remains only, and the police say they are not investigating a crime. 1 + 1 = ?
ScatCat

Was she skydiving over Magnolia?
Justmeseattle

How else would a person die, if not by the hands of someone else?
ScatCat

So you’re saying it was a bear?
Justmeseattle

Hint: KIRO reported, quoting a family member, that Ms. Perez suffered from depression issues.
ScatCat

How come they neglected to mention that on Americas Most Wanted and instead played it up as something malicious? Ohhh…denial I guess?
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