San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials continue to search for a local teacher reported missing over Halloween weekend.
Christina Bastian, 34, of Apple Valley, was reported missing by her family Sunday, Sheriff’s Sgt. Marie Spain told the Daily Press on Tuesday. Bastian was last seen at a friend’s house early Saturday morning, according to her mother, Cheryl Denny.
Bastian was reported to have left with some personal items and her dog Coco, described as a small, white and tan Maltipoo, officials and family said. Several of her belongings were reportedly found dumped on Highway 247 near Lucerne Valley.
Her vehicle, a Dodge Ram pickup truck purchased the previous week, was found around 7 p.m. Sunday on Highway 62 and Hess Boulevard in Morongo Valley, officials said. The truck had scratches and dents on both sides, as if it was driven over rough desert terrain, Denny said.
Bastian is an English teacher at Silverado High School and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 10 years ago, Denny said. She was reported to be stable since the initial diagnosis and was taking medication for the condition up until three months ago.
“She believed God had healed her and so went off the medication with the doctor’s OK,” Denny said.
However, Bastian had recently been the victim of a break-in early last Thursday at her Laguna Road apartment in Apple Valley. Bastian exhibited increasingly erratic behavior after the incident, Denny said.
“She was very scared and did not want to go back to the apartment,” Denny said. “She could not sleep and seemed to become paranoid.”
The paranoia increased to the point that Bastian ran over her cell phone shortly before she went missing. Denny said she believed her daughter was in the midst of a “manic episode” due to the odd behavior she exhibited when last seen.
Bastian had asked for a few days off from work for personal necessity, and Denny said she believed her daughter had gone to see her therapist Thursday morning.
“It was like she knew something was going on and was trying to figure out how to feel better,” Denny said.
The bizarre behavior continued over the weekend. Denny said the day before her daughter went missing, she drove to Phoenix and then back home to Apple Valley.
Bastian has very poor vision and can only see about six feet in front of her without glasses or contacts, Denny said. Those items along with her purse and driver’s license were left behind when she left Apple Valley.
Bastian has a friend in the Palm Springs area, Denny said, but her daughter has not been in contact with that person or any other friends in the area.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing but no new leads into Bastian’s disappearance had been found as of Tuesday.
Denny said her daughter had never gone missing before.
“This is the first time she just disappears like this,” Denny said. “I’m terrified. I just want to know what happened to my daughter.”
