A California man and woman who went missing on the same day and in the same area of Lake Tahoe as Kiely Rodni were found dead in an embankment on Wednesday.
Janette ‘JJ’ Pantoja, 29, and ex-boyfriend Juan Almanza Zavala, 36, were spotted near their car, which the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said was parked on a Nevada County bank.
Pantoja’s family alerted police shortly after her disappearance on August 6 that their phone last pinged 11 days later in the area where the car and bodies were found.
Amid the search for her sister, Alejandra Pentoja expressed her disappointment with law enforcement for the large-scale investigation that was looking for Rodni compared to the lack of communication she received from detectives.
Rodni, 16, disappeared from Prosser Family Campground, which is about 70 miles from where the former couple’s bodies were found. Her disappearance that same day sparked a massive search that has now totaled approximately 18,000 man hours pursuing leads.
“How come they make a big deal for her but not a big deal for our family member?” said Alejandra. ‘It’s not okay.’
Janette “JJ” Pentoja (left), 29, and ex-boyfriend Juan Almanza Zavala (right), 36, were found 70 miles away from Kiely Rodni, 16
The vehicle, which both Pentoja and Zavala were in, was found on an embankment near Highway 20 and Poker Flats Road in Penn Valley, California
The California Highway Patrol was responding to a report that a man had spotted a crashed vehicle on the embankment that was not visible from the road
The former couple was driving a Blue 2002 Ford Explorer (pictured) when they headed to a car show in Reno, Nevada
“I found the police quite rude,” Pantoja’s sister told Fox 11. “I called them (while she was missing) because I wanted to know about my sister and they said we couldn’t be in touch with you every day stay.
“They told us they would send an air search and they (didn’t) do so. I just feel like if something happened or (Zavala) did something to her, they just give (possible suspects) time to run.’
According to a report by KCRA, Pantoja and Zavala were returning home from a car show in Reno, Nevada. The car they were found in front of was not visible from the roadway.
California Highway Patrol officers were alerted to the bank at Highway 20 and Poker Flats Road in the Penn Valley after reports a man spotted a downed vehicle.
Reports of the vehicle’s discovery indicate that both Pantoja and Zavala were found outside of the vehicle. It has not been confirmed who drove.
Alejandra said Janette’s current boyfriend received a notification the night she went missing stating she had stopped sharing her location, which was last pinged in Nevada County.
On August 18, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reported that it spent a total of 17,946 staff hours searching for Rodni. Police say they recently sent investigators to search the water and the ground on August 17.
“We just want them at home,” said the teen’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman. “We are so scared and we miss her so much”
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Kiely Rodni’s car, a silver 2013 Honda CRV, had a ram sticker just below the rear wiper blade. The license plate is 8YUR127
She was last seen on local surveillance footage on August 5 wearing a black bodysuit and green Dickies pants
Authorities confirmed that Rodni was wearing a white and pink sweatshirt that read ‘Odd Future’ (pictured) on the night she went missing
Placer County Police said Monday efforts to find Rodni will be scaled back next week after more than 1,200 dead ends were tracked.
In an updated chart posted to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page Thursday, authorities have now followed 1,550 leads and have 79 yet to process.
Details of Rodni’s vehicle, a silver 2013 Honda CRV, have also been released. Police said the car had a sticker of a ram under the rear wiper blade. The license plate is 8YUR127.
Placer County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Josh Barnhart clarified that while authorities will scale back cumulative efforts, authorities will “step the accelerator” and “keep moving forward this week.”
Police added they confirmed Rodni was wearing the pink and white “Odd Future” sweatshirt that was posted on the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page the night of her disappearance.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information regarding Kiely Rodni’s disappearance to email [email protected] or call 530-581-6320.