Nevada police released still images this week of a man who may be responsible for the disappearance of an 18-year-old teen last seen at a Walmart parking lot.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Naomi Irion was last seen Saturday morning at around 5 a.m. Saturday at the Walmart parking lot on Newlands Drive in Fernley. She was seen sitting in her vehicle on security footage, while apparently waiting for a shuttle she takes to work when she disappeared.
Naomi works for Panasonic in the Reno-Sparks area, her mother said, and it’s typical for her to catch the shuttle to work.
Security footage showed a man walking from a homeless camp located nearby on the day in question; he began lurking in parked vehicles before getting in Irion’s car and driving away. KOLO reports that Irion was in the passenger’s seat as the man drove away.
Naomi’s brother, Casey Valley, told the outlet that security footage seemed to show the suspect saying or doing something that made Naomi move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. Valley viewed the footage after going to Walmart to see if his sister had made it there.
“I was mortified,” Valley said. “I didn’t expect to see that. I was just trying to verify she made it to Walmart.”
“She is not a fighter, meaning the guy who pushed her into a car, she froze. She didn’t do anything. She just froze.”
Naomi’s mother, Diana Irion, confirmed with ABC 4 that Naomi didn’t show up for work shifts on Saturday and Sunday.
“They confirmed that she missed her shifts Saturday and Sunday, which was really unusual,” Diana said. “My daughter was extremely reliable.”
Investigators found Naomi’s blue 1992 Mercury Sable on Tuesday afternoon at the Fernley industrial park. They said evidence inside the car suggests that a crime was committed.
Sheriff Hunewill with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said they’re not sure if the suspect is actually a homeless person, but the security footage suggests he came from the nearby homeless camp.
Meanwhile, Naomi’s brother is pleading for help in locating his sister.
“We are out of time. It’s so critical right now. Just anything that you know or heard or thought of, it needs to be reported,” Valley said.
Naomi is described as a white female who stands 5-feet-11-inches tall with green eyes (one eye is green and brown). She has dyed black hair, according to her family, who created a GoFundMe page to help with search costs.
Anyone with information should call the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 775-463-6620 and reference case 22LY01068. You can also contact Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to our latest episode below.
[Feature Photo: Naomi Irion/Police Handout]
