WOMAN MISSING AFTER TRIP NORTH NO LEADS TURN UP AFTER TWO WEEKS.

Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer

The disappearance of a Calabasas woman known for her free spirit has mystified family members and detectives, who have turned up no leads since the former Simi Valley substitute teacher went missing two weeks ago near San Francisco.

Patricia Freeman-Wright, 53, checked out March 22 from a Burlingame hotel, where she told family members she was attending a women's conference. No activity on her credit cards or bank accounts has been recorded since then, authorities said.

``It's very unusual,'' said Detective Diane Harris of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau's missing persons unit.

``She doesn't have any known medical problems. She's a very nice woman, who writes children's books. She's friendly, but she's very private. She doesn't provide a lot of information to her family and friends.''

Authorities said she was last thought to be heading to Los Angeles in her silver 2005 Toyota Corolla, California license plate 5JSZ571. She is African-American, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

Freeman-Wright has 22-year-old twins, a daughter, Kay Wright, who lives in Las Vegas, and a son, Lenny Wright, who lives with his mother in Calabasas. Freeman-Wright separated from her husband when the children were young and divorced him later.

Kay Wright said her mother recently started writing children's books and set up the Free Joe Legacy Foundation, a charitable organization named after a legendary African-American figure from the early 19th century.

She was due back in Los Angeles last week to meet with a lawyer about the foundation and attend an Easter event, Wright said in a telephone interview from her home in Las Vegas.

Wright said she did not know what her mother's foundation did and it was not listed on the California Secretary of State's list of charitable organizations.

``It's been two weeks. It's hard,'' Wright said Monday. ``We don't know where she is. It's extremely stressful. I hope we hear something soon.''

Wright said her mother liked to take her time getting to Northern California - preferring the scenic Highway 101 over the more direct Interstate 5 and making frequent stops along the way.

But she and her brother said it was not normal for their mother to be away so long without calling.

``No one's heard from her,'' Lenny Wright said. ``I don't know what to think. I don't know what could have happened to her.''

Freeman-Wright worked as a substitute teacher in the Simi Valley Unified School District, where co-workers expressed concern about her Monday.

Cris Sullivan, who teaches teen parents at the Apollo High School continuation school, said Freeman-Wright substituted for her for many years.

``She was a lovely lady. I'm so concerned,'' said Sullivan.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at [phone].

Eric Leach, [phone]

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

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