NY1.com

  70º

Updated 12/08/2008 11:47 AM

State Police Searching For Clues In Brooklyn Woman's Disappearance

By: NY1 News

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

State Police are still searching for any sign of a missing Brooklyn woman, who was last seen with a man now being held on a probation violation.

Michael Mele, 23, is being held by the Rockland County Sheriff's Department on $50,000 bail for violating his probation by consuming alcohol and failing to report to his probation officer.

His lawyer says his client voluntarily surrendered and is not being charged with any other crimes. He's due back in court on the 22nd.

Police have been searching his Orange County home and have impounded his SUV to look for clues in the disappearance of 25-year-old Laura Garza.

State Police Searching For Clues In Brooklyn Woman's Disappearance
Garza was seen leaving the club Marquee in Chelsea early Wednesday morning with Mele and another man.

Garza and Mele, seen on the right, were last seen later in the morning in the town of Newburgh in Orange County.

The manager at the store where she works in Manhattan says Garza is a model employee, with high career aspirations.

"She was very focused, in terms of what she wanted to do," said Bakers Footwear manager Isnel Sanon. "She comes to work on a daily basis and also was talking to different people to either write for some magazines, newspapers, and pretty much that's her main goal."

Mele was sentenced to six years' probation and added to the state sex offender registry after he was convicted of forcible touching.

State Police suspect he may have harassed other women who have not reported the crimes. They're now asking them to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police at 1-845-344-5300.