A Valley mother is taking action on her own to find her missing daughter who disappeared on a trip to San Diego with her boyfriend.
Taylor Shiflet, 19, and Matt Gray, who have been dating for about a year, left together for a job interview and were last seen by family when they were dropped off at the Greyhound station in Phoenix.
Taylor’s mom, Chris Swiflet, said they were supposed to call when they arrived but never did. And when Chris called the hotel that she booked for them, the clerk said he remembered her daughter but that the couple had been turned away for not having a credit card.
The next day, San Diego police arrested Gray for trespassing at a home in Mission Hills, California, which is about two miles from the hotel.
The homeowners said Gray seemed very drunk and was trapped in their backyard. It turns out that Matt was having a psychotic breakdown and he was lodged in a mental hospital.
Chris said she doesn't know what to make of it.
“My first gut is [that] he hurt her and won’t tell us where she is. That's my first gut. I pray he didn't, but that's my first gut. My second gut says someone stole her and is using her because she's gorgeous,” Chris said.
Chris said she and her daughter are very close and it’s not like her to not check in. She said the couple shared a cellphone, so it’s possible her daughter doesn’t have it. The mother said she also knows the couple didn’t have much cash on them.
Chris has been handing out fliers in San Diego in hopes someone will recognize her daughter, and police aren't actively searching because Taylor is an adult.
Gray’s father said his son is bipolar and has had episodes like this before. He said Gray isn’t making much sense yet and is only saying he left Taylor at the beach.
Gray’s father also said that he warned Taylor, who lives with him and his son, that the trip may not be a good idea because Gray had been acting odd lately, but that she insisted they would be fine.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department.
