Mexican officials say they're searching for missing Seattle woman

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican officials say they are searching for a Seattle woman who disappeared while backpacking in southern Mexico.


Authorities in the state of Oaxaca have issued an alert for information on Jenny Chen, saying she was last heard from around April 11. They say she had been hitchhiking and was headed to the coastal resort of Cancun.

Officials say she may have traveled west down the Isthmus of Tehuantepec or could have taken a more northerly route through Veracruz state. Some parts of Veracruz have been plagued by violence and disappearances.

Chen's husband is Seattle resident Jonathan Reinhard, and he is carrying out efforts to find her. Reinhard wrote Tuesday that he hoped for "some positive results by next week."

Jenny was a member of the traveling website couchsurfing.com, and used it to find places to stay during her trip.

Reinhard was supposed to meet Jenny in Cancun on April 15, but she never showed up. The last time friends and family heard from her was April 11 when she was in Oaxaca.