A California college student went missing after driving across the state to Los Angeles, wrecking her car, and eventually losing her phone at a ticket counter inside LAX.
On April 1, Noelle Lynch, a 23-year-old junior at Sacramento State University, drove south from her parents’ home in the Sacramento region.
Lynch’s parents are concerned that their daughter is vulnerable and left the house in a “difficult state of mind,” according to SFGate.
They had no idea where their daughter was until the next morning, when they learned she had been involved in a crash at a Los Angeles crossroads.
The newspaper quoted Mark Lynch as saying, “We didn’t know where she was going, and the next thing we knew, she was in an accident in Los Angeles at 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Tuesday, April 2.”
The collision, which involved at least two vehicles, damaged Lynch’s automobile but did not appear to injure anyone.
After hearing about the disaster, Lynch’s mother, Kellie, booked a hotel room for her daughter near LAX, with plans to go down to her daughter’s side the next morning.
“We had no idea why she was in Los Angeles, and I drove down there early the next day to try to help her,” she told ABC 10.
The college student never arrived at the hotel, and her parents did not hear from her until Lynch contacted them from a “strange person’s phone” at noon on April 3.
In the brief phone chat, Lynch was “mostly not making sense,” according to Mark Lynch.
At a Southwest ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities found Lynch’s phone, but her parents don’t think she boarded a plane.
The LAPD released a news release stating that they last saw Noelle Lynch leaving an Inglewood residence at 5 p.m. last Wednesday.
“Noelle requires medical attention,” the LAPD stated in an updated missing person flyer.
Her parents had no idea why she was at the residence; she was not visiting friends.
Kellie Lynch finally went to the building, where she discovered her daughter’s possessions, including a backpack, and police received surveillance footage of Lynch leaving without any of her bags, according to SFGate.
Lynch’s father claims it is unusual for his daughter not to speak with her parents.
“She always calls,” he explained. “This is extremely out of character. She’s had a difficult time, but she has always called.”
The heartbroken parents stated that their daughter struggled with isolation during the pandemic lockdowns and her time at UC San Diego.
“It was very difficult for her to get back on track, and we had several false starts,” said Mark Lynch, Notolld, for ABC 10.
“We were really happy for her because she had re-engaged and seemed like she was making progress,” Mr. Lynch said.
The college girl was allegedly unhappy, anxious, and disoriented, causing anxiety for her parents.
“We want to know that she’s OK, get her back, and get her help,” he stated.
Lynch’s disappearance does not appear to have been the result of foul action, according to the LAPD.
However, Mark Lynch suspects foul play and does not believe his daughter is “sitting in a coffee shop in Marina del Rey,” according to SFGate.
Lynch, a 5’8″ female, last appeared wearing a dark t-shirt, green pants with a military emblem, and white sneakers.
There have been no further reports of Lynch sightings.
