CA CA - Sydney “Syd” West, 19, Univ of CA student, San Francisco, 30 Sep 2020 #2

[LadyL]

Sydney "Syd" West, who had been living in the San Francisco area since late-August has not been in any contact with family or friends since Sept. 30, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Her last known location is in downtown San Francisco near Chrissy Field, close to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Chapel Hill native, UC Berkeley student missing in California

Find Sydney West FB page

Thread #1

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Normally reddit is not an approved source at Websleuths but in this case it is the missing person's social media account so it is being allowed for discussion. As per social media rules, paraphrasing is allowed but screenshots and direct quotes are not allowed.

As always, please post in accordance with The Rules: Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, etc

Thanks.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Folks, it's very important that all members review Websleuths TOS (aka The Rules, linked in my signature), and specificially the thread Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Websleuths has literally hundreds of active threads. WS Mods and Admins cannot possibly sit on every thread 24/7 to know what members are posting in real time. We rely on members to Alert us if there is a problem with a post or a question about what is allowed.

Just because one member posted something that was not removed doesn't mean it is approved ... it just means that nobody Reported it to us for review. We'd rather receive a Report than have to clean up pages and pages of responses, and response to those responses, to something that violates TOS.

If you have a question for us about whether something is allowed or not, please use the private message feature to ask a Mod or Admin rather than assume it's okay when it is not.

ALL members need to familiarize themselves with TOS and post in accordance with it. This is what members agree to when they register with Websleuths.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Some posts that were removed earlier today have been reinstated as there was some confusion about Syd's posts on reddit when reddit is not normally allowed.

As previously stated, discussing Syd's reddit posts are allowed, but her posts only. (So, no discussion of any comments by others on her account.)

If further clarification is needed, please private message me or another Admin or Moderator and we'll try to help.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

It is my understanding that Syd said she had an "irrational" fear that she had done something wrong on her college application ... irrational meaning she had a fear that was not justified. This discussion about cheating or lying about ancestry is just going too far off topic.

Unless someone can provide a link where it is known that she did in fact knowingly lie, please move on from the discussion about the college application.

 

[kelsie]

Police Still Looking For Missing Teenager - San Francisco News

On their Facebook page, the parents spoke about their grief, “We are heartbroken, to say the least. We miss Sydney and need her home. We are trying to stay hopeful and hope that you will too! Sydney, so many people are thinking about you and praying for your safe return. Know you are loved! Please come home, sweet girl!”

“Sydney is considered at risk due to depression,” said SFPD Officer Robert Rueca to KRON4. Police do not necessarily believe there was foul play involved, according to an interview Rueca had with KRON4. “We’ve been dealing with a number of people in mental crisis. We’ve dealt with that all before COVID came, and we’re still dealing with it even more so than ever. So we completely understand and empathize with those who deal with crisis and whatever it is that is spurring that on especially with today’s issues.”

 

[NSamuelle]

Police Still Looking For Missing Teenager - San Francisco News

On their Facebook page, the parents spoke about their grief, “We are heartbroken, to say the least. We miss Sydney and need her home. We are trying to stay hopeful and hope that you will too! Sydney, so many people are thinking about you and praying for your safe return. Know you are loved! Please come home, sweet girl!”

“Sydney is considered at risk due to depression,” said SFPD Officer Robert Rueca to KRON4. Police do not necessarily believe there was foul play involved, according to an interview Rueca had with KRON4. “We’ve been dealing with a number of people in mental crisis. We’ve dealt with that all before COVID came, and we’re still dealing with it even more so than ever. So we completely understand and empathize with those who deal with crisis and whatever it is that is spurring that on especially with today’s issues.”

Thanks for the update. This is the most info. we’ve gotten from police. I’m reading “not necessarily foul play” as LE being essentially certain that it was voluntary (combined with the family’s strategy of asking people to share stories about Sydney and appealing to her directly to come home).

 

[MissUnderstood]

Just curious if there is footage of her entering the bridge why is there not footage of her exiting? Moo

 

[amethystcrystal]

Just curious if there is footage of her entering the bridge why is there not footage of her exiting? Moo

I think it was really foggy that morning and they weren't able to see if she walked off or not on the cameras.

 

[dalsglen]

I think it was really foggy that morning and they weren't able to see if she walked off or not on the cameras.

I unfortunately think it's because she didn't exit the bridge. I think despite the fog if there was even the slightest chance she could've been on cctv exiting however uncertain they were it was her, they would say so.

 

[elisimo]

I unfortunately think it's because she didn't exit the bridge. I think despite the fog if there was even the slightest chance she could've been on cctv exiting however uncertain they were it was her, they would say so.

I wonder if she could have gotten in a car on the bridge. I’m not sure if it would be feasible, given traffic patterns, or if it would be possible to do so undetected.

 

[NSamuelle]

I wonder if she could have gotten in a car on the bridge. I’m not sure if it would be feasible, given traffic patterns, or if it would be possible to do so undetected.

They have license plate readers on the bridge, so they probably ran all plates between 6:45-7AM if they suspected that.

 

[overworkedcollegestudent]

They have license plate readers on the bridge, so they probably ran all plates between 6:45-7AM if they suspected that.

what do you think would lead them to think that? Also aren't their cameras that surveil most of the bridge?

 

[NSamuelle]

what do you think would lead them to think that? Also aren't their cameras that surveil most of the bridge?

My understanding is that cameras have blind spots (people are known to have jumped that were not seen on camera) but I doubt she entered a car undetected. If they suspected that, it would be fairly easy to cross-reference her known associates with motor vehicle registrations using the license plates. It would be a bad spot for an abduction or for a planned pick-up. Too much surveillance for either.

 

[LadyL]

They have license plate readers on the bridge, so they probably ran all plates between 6:45-7AM if they suspected that.

and what? so if they did, they have info on who crossed the bridge and that needs to what?

 

[NSamuelle]

and what? so if they did, they have info on who crossed the bridge and that needs to what?

They never organized a search, but if they suspected abduction that would have been best practice, as you can also get a potential list of suspects (people may insert themselves into investigations that they’re the target of). You take the license plate nos., get names from DMV, cross-reference them with search volunteer sign-ins verified with ID, and also cross-reference DMV names with Syd’s known associates and web and social media history. I suspect none of that was done because they had indications of a voluntary disappearance.

 

[Vacajoe]

Longtime California resident, four years in the SF Bay Area: it would be extremely difficult for someone to suddenly stop on the GGB to randomly pick up a pedestrian. There is no shoulder and traffic moves at a fairly quick pace, plus there’s a low fence she’d have to climb over to reach the stopped car. It would be so unusual that it would definitely be noted by bridge workers, pedestrians, other drivers, and definitely noticed on traffic cameras. In short, the car theory is a non-starter.

 

[NSamuelle]

Longtime California resident, four years in the SF Bay Area: it would be extremely difficult for someone to suddenly stop on the GGB to randomly pick up a pedestrian. There is no shoulder and traffic moves at a fairly quick pace, plus there’s a low fence she’d have to climb over to reach the stopped car. It would be so unusual that it would definitely be noted by bridge workers, pedestrians, other drivers, and definitely noticed on traffic cameras. In short, the car theory is a non-starter.

Thanks for the info - so even if they suspected abduction, they may not have run license plates that are auto-scanned on entry/exit during the period she was seen on GGB.

 

[kelsie]

Abduction could've occurred after she left the bridge? What streets occur as you get off the bridge? Is it a residential area? Sorry, I know nothing about San Fran.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

snip:
...
Walk around Berkeley today and you’ll see her face: a smiling young woman paired with the word "MISSING."

Sydney West wrapped up a summer session at UC Berkeley and went to visit San Francisco on Sept. 30. She was last seen near Crissy Field and hasn’t contacted loved ones since. Her face is ubiquitous around Berkeley streets, the latest sad reminder of a family that now lives with uncertainty every day.
...
These Bay Area residents vanished and have never been found