Dozens of family members, friends, and hospital coworkers came together Wednesday evening at a San Marcos park to stand behind the family of a missing Oceanside mother, while pushing the public to share any information that could help locate her.
Angelica Brophy, an emergency room nurse and mother of two, hasn’t been seen since July 6. That day, she was reportedly spotted at a casino in Valley Center, and roughly sixty minutes later, was seen sitting alone in her vehicle at a nearby state park.
Attendees at the gathering took turns reading passages from scripture as they processed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding her disappearance.
Martin Fabregas, Angelica’s brother, stood before the crowd and made a direct appeal to anyone holding back information, encouraging people to think back on anything unusual they might have witnessed — a stray vehicle, an unfamiliar face, anything that felt off.
The vigil location wasn’t random — the park sits near trails Angelica used to walk close to her job at a local Kaiser Permanente facility. Colleagues admitted that continuing to treat patients has been mentally exhausting while they wait for news.
One of her closest friends and fellow overnight ER nurse opened up about how draining the wait has been on the people who know her best, describing the emotional swings — panic, frustration, disorientation — that keep cycling through the group.
That same friend mentioned that she and a small circle of coworkers have a nickname for themselves tied to a fast-food spot they lean on to stay awake during night shifts. She also remembered Angelica as the one who always lightened the mood on hard shifts — someone described as playful, funny, and impossible not to like.
Angelica’s husband, Brent, was present with their kids for most of the evening and struggled to hold back tears as the vigil went on.
As the event wound down, mourners walked the park grounds holding candles. Before the crowd dispersed, her brother addressed her directly, telling her that the family isn’t giving up and won’t stop searching until she’s found.
Search crews, including volunteer mountain rescue teams, spent much of Wednesday combing the area, with efforts near a body of water at the state park expected to pick back up Thursday, according to her husband.