BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — An owner and chef of a local restaurant was reported missing on Wednesday.
A few hours after that, the search began, and law enforcement and community members are working to find him.
According to the Kern County Sherriff’s Office, Christian Gonzalez was reported missing at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Gonzalez’s daughter, Tatiana Ramirez, said their restaurant feels empty without her dad around.
“I really don’t know what to say or how to feel, it’s a lot.”
Gonzalez was last seen near the intersection of Monica Street and Pioneer Drive.
Police said he was likely leaving his home in a white 2013 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab.
A few hours after, KCSO started investigating because he didn’t show up for work.
“The only suspicious thing is that it was out of his normal schedule, it wasn’t like him to not arrive at work.”
“So I come into work to open at 7 a.m. He should have already been here by then, but he wasn’t here. Everything was still shut down; everything was still closed, like he quite literally disappeared.”
Ramirez adds that her family is overwhelmed with the community’s support and hope it helps in the search for her dad.
“People have been asking everybody who’s come in. They’ve either come in because he’s helped them out before with their own business, or he’s done some kind of charity work before, or just family friends coming in to make sure that we’re all okay.”
“It seems that he’s well known in the community, based on the response on social media posts. Hopefully, there are enough people who know him or would recognize him and help find him and bring him back home.”
But for now, Ramirez said her family is just taking each day as it comes.
“It’s very tough right now because he was always the rock, always the one that was constant, and just constantly there.”
Anyone with information on where Christian Gonzalez might be is asked to call KCSO at 661-861-3110 or the Secret Witness Line (661) 322-4040.
