True Crime with Kendall Rae
True Crime with Kendall Rae

She Texted "Good Morning" Then Vanished ... Where Is Arelie Garcia?

September 24, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On September 22, 2022, Areli Garcia texted her sister Veronica at 6:56 AM: "Good morning smiley face. I miss you and my baby. Love you." Veronica replied a few hours later, but the message never delivered—Areli's phone was already in airplane mode. By the time her sisters realized something was wrong, Areli had vanished from California's Highway 1, leaving behind her locked car, her keys, her wallet, and her phone on a roadside turnout in Big Sur. Nearly four years later, no one knows what happened to her.

Areli Garcia was 25 years old, the youngest of seven siblings, and known by everyone as the "happy one." She worked as a service advisor at a Chevrolet dealership in Salinas, California, and was studying online to become an ultrasound technician. She had a strict daily routine: wake up around 5:00 AM, go to the gym, shower there, and head straight to work by 7:30 AM. She was punctual and communicative—if she was ever running late, she always notified someone first. That is why her no-call, no-show on September 22 immediately alarmed her sister Ellie, who called Veronica. The two sisters met at Areli's apartment, found nothing amiss, then checked Find My iPhone. Areli's phone pinged in Big Sur, an hour away.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (03:29) **Who Is Arelie García?** - Kendall introduces Arelie García, a 25-year-old from Salinas, California, who vanished on September 22, 2022.
  • 2 (08:44) **The Morning She Vanished** - Arelie's routine is broken when she fails to show up for work, triggering a frantic search by her sisters.
  • 3 (16:45) **The Car Found in Big Sur** - Ellie and her husband find Arelie's distinctive red Honda parked on a roadside turnout near the Little Sur River Bridge, but Arelie is nowhere to be seen.
  • 4 (20:36) **The Investigation Begins** - Police and search teams scour the area but find no sign of Arelie, leading detectives to rule out suicide or an accidental fall.
  • 5 (23:32) **Arelie's Relationship and a Key Clue** - Kendall details Arelie's new, casual boyfriend and a crucial piece of security footage from her apartment.
  • 6 (31:19) **The Last Known Sightings** - Police release footage from a store camera and a bizarre Google Maps image captured the same day.
  • 7 (39:47) **Family Frustration and Public Action** - Arelie's family feels law enforcement's efforts have diminished, leading them to hold protests and marches for more attention.

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Show Notes

In September 2022, 25-year-old Arelie Garcia left her home in Salinas, California, early one morning. Just before 7am, she sent her sister a familiar “good morning” text... but she never arrived at work and was never seen again. Later that day, her car was found more than an hour away in Big Sur, with her phone, wallet and keys still inside. 

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