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Hunt for Selma’s Jolissa Fuentes Ends With Discovery of Her Body

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Through tears, Joey Fuentes praises efforts to find his daughter, Jolissa, 22, whose body was recovered on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, near Pine Flat Lake. (Fresno County SO)
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Law enforcement leaders say that the body of a missing 22-year-old Selma woman, Jolissa Fuentes, was recovered Monday evening near Pine Flat Lake.

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims and Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz made the announcement at a Tuesday morning news conference.

According to authorities, it appears that Fuentes’ car veered off Trimmer Springs Road near Maxon Road, about 60 miles east of Fresno. The road in that area is hilly and winding.

Selma Police Chief Finds Fuentes

During the news conference, it was revealed that Alcaraz found Fuentes during a search of the area. Her body was recovered about 500 feet below a cliff with the aid of drones providing views of the accident scene. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The sheriff’s office said that foul play isn’t suspected in the case.

Jolissa’s father, Joey Fuentes, praised efforts to find his daughter since she was last seen on Aug. 7 driving a silver Hyundai sedan. The family patriarch on Tuesday called Alcaraz “his hero” and said that the police chief hunted to find Jolissa “like she was his own,” ABC30 reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, Alcaraz discovered vehicle debris on Trimmer Springs Road as well as tire tracks that led through vegetation and over a cliff. He contacted the sheriff’s office, which dispatched a search-and-rescue team. Deputies rappelled about 400 feet down the embankment and found Fuentes’ car.

Human remains and some of Fuentes’ belongings were found in the ravine, the sheriff’s office said.

Map of Jolissa Fuentes crash site and body recovery

Map of the area where Jolissa Fuentes’ remains were recovered on Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. (Fresno County SO)

All-Out Effort to Find Fuentes

After Fuentes went missing, her family was joined by other Valley residents in trying to find her. They did media interviews and posted fliers throughout Fresno and other Valley cities with descriptions of her car and details about when she was last seen.

Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email