Her backpack containing school photographs of missing teacher Christina Bastian was found Wednesday in Apple Valley, according to authorities and Bastian's mother
APPLE VALLEY — Ten days after a local teacher was reported missing, was reported missing, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department officials said they found a new lead in the case that led to an aerial and bloodhound search in Apple Valley on Wednesday.
Christina Bastian, 34, of Apple Valley, was reported missing Nov. 1. Bastian was attending church with some family members and later went to a friend’s house in Apple Valley on Halloween. Bastian left the friend’s residence the following morning at approximately 1:45 a.m. with her small dog.
Morongo Station deputies located Bastian's pickup truck later that morning near Valley View Road and Twentynine Palms Highway in Morongo Valley — some 75 miles away. The California Highway Patrol later that day located some of Bastian’s personal property on the roadway near Highway 247 and Bodick Road in Johnson Valley, east of Lucerne Valley.
No new leads had been found until Wednesday, when Apple Valley Sheriff's Sgt. Marie Spain told the Daily Press a person reportedly found items believed to belong to Bastian in Apple Valley on Wednesday morning.
"A (man) called us around 8:30 a.m. and said he lived off Chipmunk Road near Bear Valley and Central Roads," Spain said. "He found a bag with stuff inside it that led him to believe it belonged to Bastian."
Bastian's mother Cheryl Denny told the Daily Press the backpack contained school photographs of Bastian, medication, an inhaler, bills and candy. Denny also said a bumper believed to be from Bastian's truck was found in the area.
Denny said other items were found in a in a two-mile radius near Chipmunk Road: A book, "Teach Like a Champion" by Doug Lemov, was found outside of the bag along with some junk mail, a large painting, clothes, makeup, students' papers from Bastian's classes at Silverado High, other paperwork, a jacket and a blanket.
Two detectives responded to the call and officials conducted an aerial search of the area, Spain said, but they have yet to find any signs of Bastian. A Sheriff's bloodhound was also requested to comb the area, Spain said.
Friends and family members haven't had any contact with Bastian, a Silverado English teacher, since the night of Halloween and her whereabouts remained unknown as of Wednesday, officials said.
Detectives are asking for the public's assistance in locating Bastian. Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is urged to call Detective Alex Naoum of the Apple Valley Sheriff's Station at 760-240-7400.