Merced Daily

WINTON TEEN GOES MISSING 29 YEARS AGO

29 years ago today, 15-year-old Vanessa Dawn Smith went missing near her home in Winton, CA.

Vanessa regularly walked with her mother for their evening walk outside their home on Winton Way, along Mercedes Avenue. They would walk along Mercedes Avenue and cut through an almond field leading back to their house, a route that usually took no more than five minutes.

On the day of her disappearance, May 31, 1997, Vanessa decided to go for her evening walk alone between 6-7pm.

When Vanessa did not return home, her parents contacted the authorities.

The following day, the Mennonite community, to which Vanessa belonged to, canceled church services to assist in the search for her. The Merced County Sheriff's Office also used air support and a Cadaver dog to assist in the search.

The only known piece of physical evidence found was Vanessa’s walking stick, which she used to fend off stray dogs. The walking stick was discovered during the search, not far from Vanessa's home.

29 years later, the case remains unsolved.

In a recent phone interview with Beverly Smith, Smith said she continues to search for her daughter and has trust in god.

Merced Daily reached out to Detective Daniel Ramirez of the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, who is currently handling the case of Vanessa Dawn Smith. Detective Ramirez stated, "The Vanessa Dawn Smith case remains an active investigation. We pursue every tip and every lead." Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Ramirez at 209-385-7472, ext. 4983.

SCHOOL BUSINESS PROJECT FOOLS MERCED LOCALS

Last month, a social media post about a new business called DusktoDon opening in Merced gained significant attention online and was even featured by a newspaper and news stations. Unfortunately, DusktoDon is not a real business; it was merely a concept for a school project.

The social media post claimed that the business would open on April 12, 2026, and mentioned its location at the intersection of Yosemite and G streets, but did not provide a specific address. One of the posts announced that DusktoDon would offer a 20% discount for the first 100 customers. Additionally, the business referenced a Cash App payment option that was marked as "temporarily unavailable," and it used a phone number from out of state.

HEALTH OFFICIALS TO INCREASE CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL STREET VENDORS IN ATWATER

Merced County's Environmental Health Office plans to take stricter action against the growing number of illegal street vendors in Atwater. First-time offenders will face fines ranging from $3,000 to $3,200, with their equipment being impounded. The equipment will be returned to the owners once the fines are paid, and owners do have the opportunity to appeal, according to Environmental Health officials in Merced County.

Merced County Health officials have intensified their enforcement efforts, issuing fines totaling over $52,000 between October 2025 and February 2026; however, only $200 has been paid so far.

When health officials ask vendors why they do not have a permit, the common response is that they are working for someone else who informed them that it's ok to sell without a permit, health officals told Merced Daily.

Most recently two illegal street vendors in the Sycamore area of Atwater were fined a total of $4,286, with more fines expected as additional penalties will be issued in the City of Atwater.

The photos on this post are from past illegal food operations from the Atwater-Winton area which show a non-working refrigerator with food inside, with weather being over 100 degrees outside. A picture of salsa which was being made in a trash can, and a rotisserie is being stored at a dangerous temperature in a shed with a dirt floor. These pictures are from a bigger operation where illegal food vendors were being sent to different cities and counties to sell to consumers, according to Merced County Enviormental Health.

MERCED ARTIST FEATURED IN KOBE BRYANT BOOK

A local artist from Merced, Chrisian Aguilar, is featured in Vanessa Bryant's new book, "Mamba and Mambacita Forever," which honors her late husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

Aguilar, 33, was contacted by Vanessa Bryant's team this month and asked if they could use his artwork in the book. As a longtime fan of Kobe Bryant, Aguilar said yes.

Aguilar shared a memorable experience from a game where he had the chance to meet Kobe in person. Aguilar recalled that he saw Kobe live and greeted him with a handshake. On another occasion, he sat right behind Kobe during a Warriors game. At one point, when the Lakers were down by 15 points in the fourth quarter, Aguilar yelled out, "You got to remember who you are! You're the Black Mamba, you're Kobe, you're going to kill these guys!" Aguilar said that both Kobe and Pau Gasol turned to look at him, and Kobe nodded in acknowledgment. Remarkably, the Lakers managed to tie the game, eventually taking it to overtime and winning.

You can find Christian Aguilar's original painting on Main Street in downtown Merced, and you can find the book "Mamba and Mambacita Forever" at Target, Amazon, and any bookstores.