BREAKING NEWS ALERT via Carlos Alcala:
A Sacramento area couple missing since Sunday has been found alive many miles from the area where a search was being conducted in southern El Dorado County.
Mark Schroeder and Janette DeGrace were found Wednesday afternoon after Schroeder hiked miles through snow near Georgetown, in the northern part of the county, and guided a rescue helicopter to DeGrace, said Jim Jungsten, who had co-ordinated search efforts.
They were being transported to Auburn where Schroeder was expected to be treated for frostbite, Jungsten said.
Story from earlier today:
An all-out search is being mounted today in El Dorado County wine country for a Sacramento area couple missing under suspicious circumstances.
It is feared that the couple may have driven off the side of a brush-choked foothill road. The couple has not used their cell phones since Sunday when they were seen by witnesses in the foothills tasting wine, friends say.
The suspicious activity that preceded their disappearance relates to both their cars recently being broken into - and important papers being taken, a friend said.
Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding the missing couple.
Mark Schroeder, 55, who lives in the 2900 block of Morse Glen Lane in Arden Arcade, may be with his girlfriend, 52-year-old Janette DeGrace.
Schroeder's friend and co-worker, Jim Jungsten, said that a search on Tuesday by about 30 people blanketed the wineries in the Somerset and Fair Play areas. One witness was found who saw the couple at wineries around Fair Play.
This morning a search of about 75 volunteers is planned. Aerial search will also be conducted.
A rescue center is being set up at Grey's Mart, 6713 Mt. Aukum Road, Somerset. Volunteers can meet there to help with the search.
"We have grids and maps set up," said Jungsten. "We kind of know where they were. There is only four roads out of the Fair Play area. So we just have to cover 20 miles today."
Volunteers have printed up flyers. Today, surveillance tapes will be reviewed at three supermarkets in the area.
It is not like the couple to not be in contact with family and friends.
"I have known Mark for ten years. He works for me," said Jungsten. "He has never missed a day of work. He didn't show up Monday. Mark had to take his kid to school Monday. She didn't snow up at a family function Monday night."
Schroeder works for AVMS at a Cal Expo area hotel. AVMS provides audio visual services for corporations, events and hotels.
DeGrace is a retired correctional officer, formerly working at Folsom Prison, according to Jungsten.
"They are a great couple," said Jungsten. "The reason their being missing is sort of suspicious is that Mark had his car broken into. He was going to have his trust re-done at his attorney's office and everything was stolen, driver's license, credit cards. Then, when we found out Mark was missing, and we went over to Mark's house, her car, parked in front of his house, was broken into and ransacked."
Schroeder drives a 1999 Porsche 911 with the California license plate of 5DRB566.
Schroeder is white, 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 140 pounds with collar-length brown hair and brown eyes. DeGrace is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall and about 130 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
"Maybe they had a little accident and that is what we are going to search for today," said Jungsten. "We could really use help today."
Searchers will look on foot and by vehicle in the Fair Play-Somerset area.
Anyone with information about Schroeder is asked to call the sheriff's department at (916) 874-5115. Anyone with information about DeGrace is asked to call the police department at (916) 264-5471.
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