Woman missing, blood found inside apartment

Mesa Police are looking for a woman who was last seen Thursday afternoon at an apartment complex near Dobson and Southern.

27-year-old Vanessa Mendoza could be in serious danger.

Authorities say someone in the area heard a fight going on in Mendoza's apartment and called the police.

When officers arrived at the scene, no one was inside, but there were signs of a struggle, including blood inside the apartment.

"It's very disturbing. It's scary. You know from what I noticed she was a normal.. I thought she was a college student.. And she always seemed happy and smiling," said Chris Overstreet.

Overstreet and his girlfriend live a few doors down from Mendoza.

"I never heard any fighting, but I noticed some real shady guys going in and out of there -- one guy in particular was pretty intimidating," said Overstreet. "We were always worried about him. When we knew he was around, we would keep our windows and doors shut."

Investigators spent almost 24 hours at the apartment complex searching for clues as to what may have happened to Vanessa -- but after not hearing from her for so long, some of her friends and neighbors say they're fearing the worst.

Detectives took items of evidence from Mendoza's apartment and hauled away two dumpsters from the complex parking lot.

With still no sign of Vanessa, people in the area are worried.

"I hope the best for her, but it's an evil world now," said Overstreet.

If you have any information about this case, call the Mesa Police or Silent Witness.

TIP LINES: (480) 644- 2211 or 480-WITNESS