Missing woman’s empty car discovered near Slab City. Months later, she’s found alive.

A North Carolina woman has been found alive in Colorado nine months after she was reported missing, authorities announced earlier this week.

Kelsey Pittman, 33, was reported missing in November 2024 by her family after they lost contact with her, according to the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office in Bishop, California.

On Feb. 9, an unidentified individual contacted the agency, alerting officials to a suspicious vehicle, a 2009 Chevrolet HHR, near Slab City, a remote California tourist attraction about 63 miles south of Joshua Tree.

Many of the residents there live as part of an alternative community, which has previously been described as a “drifter’s utopia.”

After locating the vehicle, police were able to confirm the car was registered to Pittman. Though police searched the car and surrounding area, they were not able to track down Pittman’s whereabouts, leading to an extensive missing person investigation and search effort, authorities said in a July 22 release posted to social media.

It’s not clear why Pittman’s car was located in California and police did not provide details regarding where she had been during her disappearance.

“Between February and June 2025, ICSO coordinated with multiple law enforcement agencies, drone teams, cadaver dog handlers, and volunteer search and rescue crews,” the statement read. “Despite exhaustive ground and aerial searches, no additional physical evidence was found at the site.”

Additional details will not be released out of respect for Pittman and her family, the sheriff’s office said.

“We thank our ICSO investigative team, along with the many law enforcement partners, search and rescue volunteers, and community members who assisted in this case and helped share information,” the statement concluded.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelsey Pittman, reported missing in 2024, found alive in Colorado