CANYON AREA SEARCHED FOR MISSING WOMAN TWENTY-TWO VOLUNTEER TEAMS COMB BRUSH FOR BARROSO.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

MOORPARK - Family members, friends and sheriff's volunteers combed steep terrain, ditches, and orchards in southeastern Ventura County on Saturday hoping to find clues in the case of Megan Barroso.

The 20-year-old Moorpark woman has been missing since July 5, when her car was found riddled with bullets and still running near New Los Angeles Avenue and the Route 23 Freeway.

``We are going over areas that have been searched and need to be searched again,'' said Eric Nishimoto, spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. ``It's a slow, methodical search. We're really trying to cover every single inch.''

Saturday's search focused on areas near the spot where Barroso's car was last seen and in the Grimes Canyon area, a remote, undeveloped area known as a local dumping ground.

Splitting up into 22 search teams, the 116 volunteers who began at 6 a.m. carefully searched all along the 118 Freeway from Route 23 to to Rocky Peak.

``In the face of disaster, it's nice to know that there are a lot of good people that are still out here,'' said Steve Allen, a family friend, who served as citizen volunteer coordinator. ``We searched a lot of the Moorpark area today.''

Along with canine units, a helicopter and a sheriff's posse, volunteers conducted a ground search along hillsides, in canyons, ravines, and through heavy brush.

``We have to make sure we don't miss anything,'' Nishimoto said. ``We're hopeful. We're always hopeful.''

Also on hand during the search Saturday was Megan Barroso's mother and brother. It was the first time that her mother had come out to the area where her daughter disappeared almost three weeks ago.

``I like the fact that they came out,'' Nishimoto said. ``She has been a tremendous help to us. Obviously, she wants her daughter back.''

Barroso's disappearance has baffled friends, family and even sheriff's officials.

``It's a tough case,'' Nishimoto said. ``We really don't have anything else to go on.''

Since her disappearance, sheriff's officials and search and rescue volunteers have searched for her almost daily.

Detectives have also interviewed family and friends who saw her last, reviewed her e-mail and traced back through the last day she was known to be alive, but no leads have developed.

They described Barroso as the perfect daughter.

``It's very discouraging,'' said Allen. ``It's a very unusual case.''

Barroso's rented green Pontiac Sunfire was found abandoned with its engine running before dawn July 5. A trace of blood was found inside, but not the woman who was returning from a Fourth of July party at a friends house.

A $35,000 reward is being offered for anyone with information on Barroso whereabouts. Contributions are being accepted and can be made at the First Western Bank in Moorpark.

``We're hoping to build that up,'' said Allen. ``If nothing else than for the money, maybe somebody can remember. Right now it's probably our greatest hope.''

Anyone else interested in volunteering on future searches is asked to call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) MOORPARK: Suzan Barroso, above right, appeals to anyone with information about her missing daughter to come forward. Above, a map of the search area is scrutinized Saturday before Suzan Barroso and other volunteers set out on their hunt.

(3) Megan Barroso's brother A.J. searches tall weeds and thickets along Grimes Canyon Creek on Saturday for any signs of his missing sister, whose bullet-riddled car was found July 5th.

John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News