BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — As the two-year anniversary of Ana Barbosa’s disappearance approaches, her daughter says she is still pushing for answers and refuses to stop searching.
“I’m gonna keep going. This is not gonna stop. I’m gonna keep asking. I’m gonna keep putting pressure. I have to know what happened to my mom,” said Ana Maria Leal Ochoa, Barbosa’s daughter.
Family said Ana Lorena Barbosa was last seen on Monday, May 6th on Norris Road in Oildale. PHOTO: Family
Nearly two years after Barbosa vanished, Ochoa said her mother’s absence has left a lasting void.
“You could feel the absence. You feel this huge hole in your life,” Ochoa said.
Barbosa was last seen May 6, 2024. Two days later, she was reported missing. Investigators said she was last seen on Norris Road in Oildale.
Her husband, Fabian Barbosa, was the last known person to have contact with her before she disappeared. Documents obtained by Eyewitness News show he told investigators the two argued at his business, The Corner Shop Automotive Services, the day she disappeared. He said she planned to take an Uber home and claimed he ordered the ride for her.
But according to those documents, investigators found no record of an Uber being requested from his phone that day.
Ochoa said Fabian Barbosa gave her a different version of events, telling her that after the argument, Barbosa left through a back door. Ochoa said the differing accounts have left her with unanswered questions about what happened that day.
“I can’t live with that story. I can’t live with it because I feel like there’s more to it,” Ochoa said.
Attempts to reach Fabian Barbosa for comment were unsuccessful.
Ochoa said there has been no sign of life from her mother since the disappearance.
“I miss you so much. I miss you so so much,” she said.
Ochoa said investigators have shared new details with her about the case, but she has been advised not to discuss them publicly.
“I put a lot of my faith on the detective and I want to believe that he’s on the right path,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa said she continues to have hope and will not stop searching for answers until she and her family learn what happened.
Family said Ana Lorena Barbosa was last seen on Monday, May 6th on Norris Road in Oildale. PHOTO: Family
“My whole entire family and I – we deserve to know what happened,” she said.
Anyone with information is advised to call the Kern County Sheriff’s Office or the Secret Witness line at (661) 322-4040.