Search continues for missing woman near Gustine, Merced County officials say
It has been almost six days since a woman went missing after the dune buggy she was riding in crashed into a canal west of Gustine, and there’s still no sign of her, Merced County authorities said Monday.
Some family and friends of the missing woman, 21-year-old Lupita Ontiveros of Stockton, have taken to social media and the Internet to say that Merced County officials aren’t doing enough to find her.
“The search has been especially challenging because the sheriff will not allow a professional diver to assist, making our efforts even more difficult and emotional,” says a GoFundMe page created by Evelyn Ontiveros of Stockton, the missing woman’s cousin.
Merced County sheriff’s Deputy Alexandra Garcia denied that accusation and said that allowing a search would be the purview of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, which operates the canal.
Groups of people have been out at the scene every day since the crash. Many have been making the drive daily from Stockton, according to reports.
The GoFundMe page — titled “Help Find Lupita Lizbeth Zúñiga Ontiveros” — has been started to help pay expenses for volunteers who are searching the waterway for the woman. As of Monday morning, $6,251 had been raised.
“To keep these (volunteer) efforts going, we need help providing food, drinks, portable restrooms, and gas for the volunteers who are dedicating their time and energy every day,” the GoFundMe says. “In addition, your donations will help us hire a lawyer as legal representation, so we can get the professional help we need to continue the search for Lupita.”
Merced County Sheriff’s Office deputies are still making extra patrols to search the area along the canal banks where they believe the woman could be, according to Garcia. Drones have also been used in the search.
The Sheriff’s Office dive team searched in the canal from 1:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the day of the crash. No dive teams have searched since then, Garcia said.
“The waterway is very dangerous with how fast the current is going,” Garcia said. “We’re doing everything we can.”
Ontiveros, a mother of an 18-month-old, went missing after the dune buggy, driven by a 21-year-old Patterson man, crashed into the Delta-Mendota canal just after midnight Wednesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The driver, Elixandro Naranjo Miranda, fled the scene but was eventually arrested on felony hit-and-run and other charges.
Two of the three passengers in the dune buggy were able to escape the canal. Family members have said Ontiveros did not know how to swim.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 11:57 AM.
