PLEASANTON, CA — The parents of a missing woman who was raised in Pleasanton have increased a reward to $25,000 for information leading to her return. The reward was previously $10,000.
Sydney "Syd" Kaitlyn West, 19, disappeared six months ago and was last seen on Sept. 30 at 6:45 a.m., a foggy San Francisco morning, on the Golden Gate Bridge. West is a white woman who stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. She may be wearing glasses.
"As 6 months passes where we have not seen or heard from Sydney, it becomes increasingly painful," her parents, Jay and Kimberly West, said in a news release. "Holidays and milestones come and go while we continue to feel Sydney's absence continuously. We remain hopeful that someone knows something that will be helpful in finding her."
The reward will expire July 1.
West was born in Walnut Creek and lived briefly in Castro Valley before her family moved to Pleasanton. She was a student at Donlon Elementary and Hart Middle schools and attended Foothill High School for her freshman and sophomore years.
Her family relocated to Orange County in North Carolina in July 2017. West returned to the Bay Area to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied briefly before deciding to defer her freshman year to the fall of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. She moved in with friends in San Francisco, where she was living when she disappeared.
West's parents remain in North Carolina with her younger sister.
Her parents hired a private investigator who has looked into dozens of tips, but none have led to West's location. Her family believes she could be anywhere by now, such as Oregon, Nevada, Colorado or Utah.
West's phone, social media and bank accounts have not been used since she went missing. Surveillance camera footage in the area of her disappearance has been reviewed, and friends and acquaintances have been interviewed to no avail, according to the parents' news release.
West's parents also created a new website, findsydneywest.com, in addition to their efforts to #FindSydneyWest on Facebook and Instagram, they said.
The website included photos of West and posters related to the campaign to bring her home. It also included a frequently asked questions section with new details about West's life leading up to the months before her disappearance.
The FAQ page clarified that West made the decision to take a break from UC Berkeley after suffering a concussion in summer 2020 that made it difficult for her to engage with virtual classes. She decided to hold off on returning until she could make a more complete recovery.
West frequented the area of the bridge, the site said. She liked to go for walks and runs there and to take photos. She arrived at the area around the time of her disappearance after taking an Uber. The driver was interviewed by police and is not a suspect, the website said.
West, who is very close with her family, was reported missing after her family received no response after multiple attempts to contact her. She had a long phone call with her dad on the evening before her disappearance, according to the website.
A vigil was held in October for West in Pleasanton.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Scott Dudek, private investigator, at 925-705-8328. He will handle any reward payout.
People may also contact the San Francisco Police Department tip line at 415-575-4444 or text TIP411 and start the text message with "SFPD."
View a video from her parents about the reward below.
"reward" - Google News
March 31, 2021 at 10:30PM
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Missing Pleasanton Woman: Family Increases Reward To $25K - Patch.com
"reward" - Google News
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