It's been three months since a 39-year-old mother of three went missing from her Chula Vista home but the city's police chief wants to reassure the community her department hasn't given up on the investigation into her disappearance.
The Chula Vista Police Department has been investigating May "Maya" Millete's disappearance since she was first reported missing by her sister on the evening of Jan. 7, 2021. That day, Millete had planned to take her three children, ages 4, 9 and 11, on a trip to Big Bear for her daughter's birthday.
More Stories About the Disappearance of Maya Millete
By 1 a.m. the following morning, the Chula Vista Police Department had launched a missing persons investigation.
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"As we near the three-month anniversary of May’s disappearance, I want [to] reassure May’s family, and our community that she is not forgotten and that bringing her home safely remains our number one priority," Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy said in a message to the public.
Kennedy said the department, who has been working conjunctively with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, has been conducting searches and follows up on every tip received.
Since Millete's disappearance, the CVPD said they've interviewed more than four dozen people -- family members, friends, neighbors and witnesses who potentially had insight into her whereabouts.
The department has also served 12 search warrants in order to search homes, vehicles, cell phones, phone call and spending records, social media profiles and more. CVPD did not release any details of what was found in their searches.
"We understand and recognize the sense of frustration from May’s family and the community with each passing day," she added. "We all want answers."
"Every resource available is being utilized," she said.
Detectives have released few details about their investigation to the public as to not compromise what they've learned so far, but they say even the smallest clues could lead to a break in the case so they will keep working.
Kennedy urged the public to share any tips directly with the Chula Vista Police Department at 619-691-5151 or through San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Tips shared elsewhere "leads to misinformation and complicates the investigation," she said.
So far, more than 40 tips have been investigated. The tips have come from the local community and from across the country, the department said.
Searches for Millete have been conducted by family, loved ones and even strangers who just want her found. The efforts have even expanded across county lines in the hopes that something will turn up to provide a clue to her whereabouts.
Her car was located at her home and her phone was turned off. Police put out an alert for the community to be on the lookout for Millete, a 5 foot 2 inch woman with brown hair, brown eyes and freckles. She has a distinguishing tattoo on her wrist, family says.
May Millete's family paints her as a caring mother who would have never willingly left her kids. They say she and her husband, Larry Millete, had been having marital problems.
Chula Vista police have explicitly said Larry Millete is not considered to be a suspect in their investigation. However, Lt. Miriam Fox, a spokeswoman for the department, added that he is no longer cooperating with their investigation and has retained an attorney.
Weeks after her disappearance, the CVPD served a search warrant at their shared South Bay home. No details from the search were released to the public and it was unclear if anything noteworthy was found.
Larry Millete responded to questions from NBC 7 via text, stating that he was thankful for the concern and search efforts by the community. He did not address the warrant.
The Chula Vista Police Department has not identified any suspects.
You can read the timeline of Millete's case, so far, here.
