Timeline shows last known whereabouts of missing California woman Angelica Brophy

ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 19, 2026, 4:53 PM EDTBy Meghan O'BrienAngelica Brophy is the baby of her family, the youngest of six children and the only girl. “She was the toughest one in the family,” older brother Ramon Fabregas said. He was 7 years old when Angelica was adopted. “It was a delight to the family. It was something new,” he told Dateline.

Angelica and her siblings grew up in the Philippines and moved to California in 1990. She eventually settled with her husband, Brent, and two kids in Oceanside, a beach town near San Diego. Ramon lives north of Los Angeles and sees his little sister’s family at least once a month.

Angelica with her brothers, including Ramon (right).Ramon FabregasIn July, Ramon hosted Angelica and her family for the Fourth of July. “They drove up here and spent the weekend with us,” he said.

On Monday, July 6, 44-year-old Angelica dropped her daughter off at summer camp in Oceanside around 9 a.m. She was scheduled to work a 7 p.m. shift at Kaiser Permanente, where she was a nurse. “It’s pretty natural for her,” Ramon said. “You can’t be doing nursing for all these years and not enjoy it.” He says Angelica also cared for their aging parents, even opening her home to them at one point.

Angelica and Brent BrophyRamon FabregasBut that evening, Ramon got a concerning call from Angelica’s husband, Brent.

Ramon says he learned that around 6 p.m. on July 6, Angelica and Brent’s son texted his father asking if he had heard from his mom. Brent called Angelica, but got no answer. He drove to her workplace to see if she would arrive for her 7 p.m. shift. She never showed up. Brent reported his wife missing that night. A press release from the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) confirms that Angelica was reported missing “at approximately 9:30 p.m.” The press release states, “The following day, the Investigations Division of the police department began following up on leads to locate Brophy.”

Angelica’s family quickly sprang into action to search for her and spread the word on social media. Ramon drove down to Oceanside. “My focus was solely to be there for the kids,” he said. Dateline spoke with Lisa Fabregas, who is married to Angelica’s brother Martin. The couple was at home in Toronto when they learned from Ramon that Angelica was missing. “I checked everything. I sent messages out to her on Facebook, on WhatsApp, even sent a regular text,” Lisa said. “I tried calling her phone. Martin did the same thing. Nothing.”

Angelica and MartinLisa FabregasThe Fabregas family was flooded with Facebook messages offering help and others fueling speculation. Within days of Angelica’s disappearance, they created a website to centralize the facts. “Anything that we put in the website, we were able to verify with the police first,” Lisa said. “We didn’t want to hamper their investigation at all in any way, shape, or form.”

Using surveillance footage and bank transactions, investigators were able to piece together a timeline of Angelica’s last known movements. “Brophy’s last known location was Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center on July 6, 2026, at approximately 3:30 pm.,” an OPD press release states. Her family says Angelica regularly visited the casino at Harrah’s Resort. “Approximately 50 minutes later, Brophy entered Palomar Mountain State Park after purchasing a parking ticket from park staff,” the press release continues. The state park is about an hour from Oceanside.

The Oceanside Police Department also “contacted Brophy’s cell phone carrier and ‘pinged’ her phone,” according to the press release. “The ping was unable to provide any information because Brophy’s phone was either turned off or its battery was dead.”

Lisa says her sister-in-law was a frequent hiker who explored trails “all around the San Diego area with her friends.” She says Angelica had been to that state park before. Three days after Angelica vanished, her car was found in a parking lot in Palomar Mountain State Park near Doane Pond. “However, Brophy was not with her vehicle,” the OPD stated in its release. According to Lisa, the car was locked, and Angelica’s phone, wallet, and passport were found inside.

Angelica's car in the parking lot of Palomar Mountain State ParkRamon Fabregas“Officers with the California State Parks, supported by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s Search and Rescue team, began searching for Brophy,” the press release states, noting that the operations spanned many hours over multiple days. “Despite their best efforts, the search-and-rescue teams were unable to locate Brophy.”

Ramon says he led most of the community searches for Angelica in the months after she disappeared. “The support from the nurses and her friends at work have been amazing,” he said, adding that dozens of volunteers showed up every day to help look for his sister. “It’s been an outpouring of support.”

Lisa and her husband flew out to California as soon as they could. “We went out in groups and started hiking and searching for her,” she said. “There have been so many people and so many volunteer organizations that have come forward.” Despite the extensive search efforts, Angelica remains missing.

In the OPD’s July 22 press release on Angelica’s case, Chief Taurino Valdovino said, “I want to emphasize that there is still no evidence of foul play in this case. However, we will continue to work closely with the Brophy family to locate Angelica.” Dateline reached out to the Oceanside Police Department for an interview and was told by email it “will not provide interviews, offer additional comments, or release any further information” in the case “beyond what has already been publicly released.”

Angelica’s brothers and their families have joined forces to field media requests and work with OPD. Lisa says they are trying to help Brent and his children “live their lives peacefully” as they deal with Angelica’s disappearance.

Angelica and LisaLisa FabregasLisa misses her sister-in-law. “I promised her, you know, that I would take care of her,” she said. “I miss her laughs. I miss that she can’t sing to save her life.”

Angelica’s loved ones shared a plea on the family’s website, writing:

“Her loving husband and kids need her home safe, and are desperate for life to feel normal again. Her patients need the warm and vigilant care she provides in their own most vulnerable moments and times of need. And the rest of us need her infectious smile and unmistakable laugh back in our lives. There are more memories to be made with her friends and family, and we need that support from our community more than ever.”

Angelica and RamonLisa FabregasRamon has a more direct appeal to the public. “We’re trying to reach someone that knows something or overheard something,” he said. “We don’t know yet the circumstances of her disappearance. So that’s — that’s what we’re pleading for. If there’s anyone that could help us or knows something, just one phone call, you know, can lead us to her and to get her home.”

Angelica is 5’5”, 130 lbs. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black leggings, a light gray pullover, and white sneakers. She may have been carrying a blue and pink pineapple backpack.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Oceanside Police Detective Ryan Malone at 760-435-4537 or the anonymous tip line at 760-435-4730. Angelica’s family has also set up a phone line for information and can be reached at 619-377-8399.

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ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMeghan O'BrienMeghan O’Brien is an Associate Producer for Dateline Digital.