Search-and-rescue workers combed the rugged terrain near Lang Station on Wednesday, where a car was hit by a train the night before, looking for the car’s owner, who was reported missing early Wednesday.
The missing woman, who suffers from depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was identified Wednesday afternoon as the owner of the car hit by a Metrolink train Tuesday about 7 p.m.
She is Nakita Marie Monkhouse, 31, of Canyon Country.
“Canyon Country woman is still missing,” Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, said shortly after 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.
“Search and Rescue assisted deputies in combing areas of brush, trails in the area,” she said, noting that at least three search-and-rescue dogs were used in the search.
“There were no signs of the missing person,” Miller said. “We do believe that was (her) car that was struck by Metrolink.”
About 7 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to reports of a vehicle struck by a Palmdale-bound Metrolink train.
“The location was Lang Station Road, and the nearest geographical location was the railroad tracks. It’s in Canyon Country,” Michael Pittman, supervising fire dispatcher with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said Tuesday evening.
A person at the scene of the vehicle had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, according to Pittman.
The injured person was identified by Metrolink officials as a Metrolink investigator who injured his hand after he tried to move his Metrolink truck after it became stuck on the same section of train tracks.
“We had one of our people respond to the incident,” Metrolink spokesman Scott Johnson said. “And, during that call his truck also got stuck on the tracks.”
Johnson said the car that was hit by the train was unoccupied at the time of the collision.
“The owner of vehicle involved was not there at the time of the collision,” he said.
Three subsequent trains bound for Antelope Valley were each delayed by 90 minutes because of the collision, Johnson said.
On Wednesday morning, detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Missing Persons Unit issued a news release seeking the public’s assistance in locating Monkhouse.
Six hours later, they confirmed it was her car struck on the tracks.
Monkhouse was last seen on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 5:17 p.m. in her residence on the 28400 block of Oak Springs Canyon Road in Canyon Country.
Monkhouse, who also goes by the name Nikki Kichler, is described as white, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 100 pounds, blue eyes, and long purple hair, with a multitude of tattoos on both arms. She was last seen wearing a black tank top, blue jeans and black Nike shoes.
According to detectives, she suffers from depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Her family is very concerned for her well-being and is asking for the public’s assistance in locating her.
Anyone with information can contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Missing Persons Unit or Detective Pereida at 323-890-5500.
If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google Play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.
With files from Brennon Dixson, The Signal.
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