Missing Wimberley woman found, thanks to social media

Evelyn Avendano-Acosta was found Thursday night after she was reported missing earlier that day to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to search the area where she was last seen along with Hays County Community Emergency Response Team, Texas Search and Rescue and Hays County Emergency Management. Information about the disappearance was distributed on social media through the new Sheriff’s App.

In the meantime, a good Samaritan saw Avendano-Acosta walking and stopped to see if she needed assistance. They provided Avendano-Acosta a ride, food and shelter for the evening.

A co-worker of the good Samaritan saw the post about the missing person on the Hays County Facebook page and asked the good Samaritan if the person they found could be the missing person and it was.

With the help of the good Samaritan, social media, and the new Sheriff’s App, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Hays County Sheriff’s Office detectives were able to contact Avendano-Acosta and confirm that she was safe and unharmed.

Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler wishes to thank the multiple law enforcement agencies, CERT, TEXSAR, and the Office of Emergency Management, and all those involved in locating Avendano-Acosta. Cutler also wants to recognize the good Samaritan who cared for and made sure she was OK. 

Sheriff Cutler said, “This is a perfect example of the importance of social media and how the sheriff’s office and the public can work together.”

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office just released a new app that will streamline the way law enforcement and the public can interact with each other. Sheriff Cutler went on to say, “technology is always changing, and the Sheriff’s Office needs to stay up to date and work closely with the citizens of Hays County. Yesterday was a great example of what that can look like.”