Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson would not say during an Oakland news conference if investigators believe Sandra Coke, 50, was still alive. She said that Coke was seen Sunday night with Randy Alana, who a family spokeswoman said Coke had dated about 20 years ago.
A Solano County sheriff's spokesman said, however, that his department had been asked to assign its search and rescue team to the fairgrounds. The team includes dogs trained to detect human remains.
The spokesman told the Vallejo Times-Herald that the search that began at about 8 p.m. is for a body. He added that the search would include not only the fairgrounds area, but a swath that includes part of nearby Lake Chabot.
Alana, who Watson described as a "person of interest" in the disappearance, has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for kidnapping and rape, a murder charge - for which he was eventually acquitted - and a no-contest plea in a fatal prison stabbing.
From the above link.
