Cops seek ‘person of interest'

A developmentally disabled Gridley woman was seen in a convenience store with a man a few blocks from her home shortly before she disappeared, Gridley-Biggs police said Thursday.

Police released a composite sketch of an unknown man whom an eyewitness saw in the store Tuesday afternoon with Nora “Lori” Loreta Hollinger, 18.

The man is considered a “person of interest,” Police Chief Gary Keeler and Lt. Brian Cook said at a press conference called to update the search efforts.

The name of the store the two were seen in was not released. There was no security camera footage, police said.

Keeler said the eyewitness is familiar with Hollinger, but did not recognize the man.

“He thought it was unusual because she is usually with family,” Keeler said.

The two bought Gatorade and food items at the store, Cook said. There was no information on whether they left in a vehicle or which direction they might have traveled.

The man was described as being 30 to 40 years old, standing about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing between 230 and 240 pounds and being fluent in English.

Police have not classified her disappearance as an abduction, Keeler said.

Instead, she is described as “missing at risk” due to her developmental disability.

Around a dozen additional tips have come in to Gridley-Biggs police, which are being followed up, Keeler said. Contact has also been made with Hollinger's relatives, including her birth mother, who lives in Prineville, Ore.

Hollinger does have contact with her birth mother, although she has lived with her foster family in Gridley for the past seven years.

Hollinger left her home in the 900 block of Indiana Street in Gridley around 4 p.m. Tuesday after getting into an argument with her foster mother, police said. Keeler said that was unusual for Hollinger to do.

Police officers searched the Gridley area by foot on Tuesday. A Butte County Sheriff's Department helicopter, along with search and rescue teams with dogs were employed Wednesday, and train tracks were searched from Yuba City to Chico.

Cook said no further foot searches are planned unless there is a positive clue found, such as an article of clothing.

He encouraged citizens to keep an eye out for Hollinger and also to look in any outbuildings, even if nobody has set foot in them recently.

“We'd appreciate that, especially in the immediate area,” Cook said.

Hollinger is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. When she left her house, she was wearing a white shirt with pink and blue stripes, black Capri pants, white socks and no shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Gridley-Biggs Police Department at 846-5678.

Information on Hollinger is also available at the City of Gridley's Web site, www.gridley.ca.us.