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California woman goes missing in Arizona during road trip, eerie bodycam footage taken before disappearance revealed
Chelsea Grimm’s parents reported her missing on October 4 after they were unable to reach her
A California woman has reportedly disappeared on a road trip with her pet bearded dragon. 32-year-old Chelsea Grimm’s parents reported her missing on October 4 after they were unable to reach her. Chelsea told them she had planned to go camping in Arizona, stating that she may not have phone service.
On September 20, a woodcutter reportedly saw her camping in her car in an area near Ashfork, Arizona. Chelsea’s Ford Focus SUV was found on October 5, the tires flat, placed on the side of the road. Her pet dragon and belongings were not found inside the locked car. “We are trying our best to hold onto positive outcome scenarios and put our faith in the authorities,” her father, Stephen Grimm, told AZ Family.
Chelsea Grimm interacted with a police officer days before she disappeared
It has now been revealed that Chelsea, a photographer and artist, interacted with a police officer in Williams, Arizona, just days before she was last seen. The cop was reportedly checking on her after he received a call about a suspicious vehicle near a graveyard and war memorial. The bodycam footage was recorded on September 28.
Chelsea appeared to be upset in the video, and the officer asked her if she was fine. “Yeah, I just was doing a photo shoot of the lost soldiers and got a little emotional, so I was crying before I got back on the road,” she answered from the driver’s seat.
When the officer asked her if she had a hotel for the night, she replied, “I don’t, I was actually thinking of just camping for the night, but I wasn’t really sure exactly yet. I didn’t plan to be here until sunset.”
“The yellow lights up there, the Loves? It’s the trucker stop. In the gas station area, you can sleep there. Nobody will bother you,” the officer said.
“Oh perfect. Awesome. Yeah, love that,” Chelsea replied.
‘She was upset with a boy she was dating’
Meanwhile, Stephen Grimm said that Chelsea was “upset with a boy she was dating” and that “she was scared of him.” “We feel like she was running away from him. And I think overall, that was affecting a lot of her mindset,” he said.
Chelsea’s family has now hired a private investigator. “It’s a nightmare and it’s one that you never could have imagined yourself in and wouldn’t wish on anybody,” her father told Law&Crime Network.
“But having said that, we’re hanging in there. We’re holding on to hope. Putting our faith in the law enforcement professionals. We’ve also hired a private investigator, which hopefully will help,” he added.
Chelsea’s parents said she was driving across the country to attend a wedding. However, she did not fly because she could not bring her pet dragon on the plane. She decided to camp in Arizona instead, and then return to California.
Coconino County Sheriff’s Office investigators said there are no signs of foul play at present. “The car was locked,” Chelsea’s mother Janet Grimm said. “It was neat. So there were no visual signs of a struggle. And, it’s possible that she just decided that she was going to proceed with her camping.”
Anyone who has information on Chelsea's whereabouts has been urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (928) 774-4523.
