Valerie Grace Ray Found Safe After More Than Two Weeks Missing

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office reported late on the night of Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, that 46-year-old Valerie Grace Ray was located and is safe, ending a search that began after she was last seen Feb. 9 in downtown Fresno near the intersection of Fresno and M streets. Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said that Ray, 46, was found safe on Thursday.

Public and law-enforcement posts circulated a physical description used in the missing-person alert: age 46, height 5 feet 8 inches, weight 150 pounds, brown eyes and blonde hair. That description appeared in social-media missing-person posts shared on Facebook and Instagram while the search was active.

The sheriff’s office had issued an alert asking the public for help; the agency’s notice specifically asked anyone with information to call investigators. Officials have not released the exact location where Ray was found, whether she received medical attention, or whether any arrests or charges are connected to her disappearance.

Detective Javier Puente was identified as the lead deputy on the case, and deputies coordinated a public appeal that drew community sharing of the social-media posts. One Instagram update posted during the search read, "*UPDATE* Valarie was found safe Thursday evening," reflecting the resolution that authorities announced late Thursday night.

Published material and social posts show two spellings of her first name in circulation - "Valerie" and "Valarie" - while multiple items attribute details of the alert and the find to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office remains the primary agency named in the case record and public notices.

Ray had been missing for more than two weeks between her Feb. 9 sighting downtown and the Feb. 26 announcement that she was located. The sheriff’s office asked for tips during the search and has not provided additional public details about follow-up steps in the investigation.