Missing Woman Found

Ashley Clary, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared from Santa Barbara on August 13, was located Monday night in Palmdale, by herself and “physically okay,” according to Santa Barbara police. Lt. Paul McCaffrey reported that last night around 9 p.m. citizens found her hanging out along a Palmdale street, and were concerned about a young female being alone on the streets.

After talking with Clary, the citizens called Palmdale authorities, who responded to find the woman in no distress. There was no indication from Clary how she arrived in Palmdale, said her mother, Sandy Clary.

Clary is bi-polar with schizophrenia, and family members were concerned about her disappearance. Family members had noticed her medication had not been working correctly, and a doctor’s appointment had been scheduled for later in the week.

She had last been seen at 3 p.m. August 13 near the 1300 block of Castillo Street. Community members had been distributing photos of Clary in Santa Barbara throughout the week-and-a-half she was missing.

Sandy Clary had been notified about her daughter being found in Palmdale and made the drive to the desert city, arriving around midnight last night. Ashley Clary was taken to the hospital, where she was treated being treated for slight dehydration and a sunburn. She was also given medication for her illnesses. It was unclear when Ashley would be returning to Santa Barbara, but her mother’s biggest concern was to get her daughter healthy.

“It’s just overwhelming,” said Sandy Clary, who stayed at the hospital until 3 a.m., when Ashley fell asleep, before driving back to wrap up some loose ends at work Tuesday morning. “I just want to thank the community and the Santa Barbara police. The community just reached out to help to make sure she was safe.”