'She would never leave her campsite a mess': Family of missing woman speaks out

Sandra Hughes' niece, Ashley Macus, said she has not heard from her aunt since she went missing.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2020
'She would never leave her campsite a mess': Family of missing woman speaks out
Sandra Hughes disappeared in the Sierra National Forest. Officials say the campsite was disheveled, which immediately raised red flags for her family.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The family of a missing woman is speaking out after she disappeared in the Sierra National Forest on June 26.

Sandra Hughes' niece, Ashley Macus, said she has not heard from her aunt since she went missing.

Hughes' camp, documents and personal information was found in the Johnson Meadows area between Beasore and Minarets Roads.

Officials say the campsite was disheveled, which immediately raised red flags for her family.

Hughes had been spotted several times, but her trail has since gone cold.

"She's trained in outdoor survival; she's trained for it. She would never leave her campsite a mess. Even a piece of litter on the ground would bother her. So there's so much that happened that's just as a family we can't really explain it," Macus told Action News.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office has since located Hughes' car on Sunday, which was found near the area of Chiquito Creek.

Macus says it appears that she had lost control and hit a tree.

Hughes was reportedly seen by a passerby who told investigators that Hughes said she was OK before walking off.

Anyone with any information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Madera County Sheriff's Office.