Family members of a 35-year-old woman from Utah who vanished from a beach party in Santa Cruz County earlier this month are speaking out, claiming her boyfriend, who was with her on the trip, is “abusive” and “manipulative.”
Danielle Staley was reportedly last seen with a group of people just before 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Rio Del Mar State Beach, about 10 miles east of Santa Cruz, officials with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
In a Nov. 9 news release, officials said, “New information indicates she may be at risk, and foul play may be involved.”
Investigators said the 35-year-old arrived in California’s Central Coast with her boyfriend, 62-year-old Axl Nunez, near the end of October and was staying in a camper van near the beach.
Her belongings were later found on the beach, though there was no sign of her. Though authorities said there’s no indication that she got in the ocean the night she disappeared, sheriff’s investigators have repeatedly flown drones along the coastline looking for any sign of her.
In an interview with Utah television station KSBW, April Miller, Staley’s mother, said her daughter and Nunez had an on-again, off-again relationship for about 13 years. “We’ve been concerned for years,” she said of the 62-year-old, describing him as “extremely abusive” moments before Staley’s brother chimed in and called him “manipulative.”
Nunez has denied any part in his girlfriend’s disappearance and says he has offered to take a polygraph test.
Speaking with KSBW, the 62-year-old said he did not attend the beach bonfire because he’s asthmatic, but instead fell asleep in the van during the festivities.
“When I woke up, she wasn’t there, so I’m saying there’s cameras there, there’s a whole private subdivision that isn’t nothing but cameras, and there has to be some video surveillance of something, cars going in and out between about 11 o’clock and six in the morning,” he told the outlet.
Danielle Staley, 35, seen in this undated photo by her sister, Airica Staley on GoFundMe.
Rio Del Mar Beach in Santa Cruz County seen in this Google Maps image.
Danielle Staley, 35, a resident of Utah seen in this undated photo. (SCCSO)
Investigators in Santa Cruz County have interviewed Nunez multiple times. His van is still in the custody of the sheriff’s office, presumably while it’s being searched for evidence.
Nunez, who has not been named as a suspect, said he decided to speak out about the situation after receiving criticism on social media where the couple’s history of domestic violence has been discussed. He suggested that Staley may have relapsed on drugs and could be with other drug users and that the focus should be on finding the 35-year-old and not on him.
Missing California man, 78, ‘likely dragged’ off by wildlife, sheriff says
“I won’t stop until I find her, and I’m not going anywhere,” he told the outlet.
Airica Staley, the missing woman’s sister, said in a GoFundMe, that she and her sister and their stepdad have been in the area where the 35-year-old went missing since Nov. 12, working closely with law enforcement and passing out flyers in hopes of locating her.
Staley is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing around 120 pounds with blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and leopard print leggings.
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office has not released an update on the search since last week but has urged anyone with information about her disappearance and or whereabouts to contact investigators at 831-471-1121.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.