Family members, friends and coworkers gathered Wednesday evening at Lakeview Park in San Marcos to support the family of missing Oceanside mother and ER nurse Angelica Brophy while urging the public to help investigators as the search continues.
Brophy, a mother of two and emergency room nurse, was reported missing after she was last seen July 6. She was spotted at Harrah’s Casino in Valley Center that afternoon. About an hour later, she was seen alone in her car at Palomar Mountain State Park.
During the gathering, organizers read Bible verses as loved ones reflected on Brophy’s disappearance.
Her brother, Martin Fabregas, asked anyone who may have seen something unusual to come forward.
“Search your memory. Did you notice a vehicle, a person or anything that seemed out of place?” he asked.
The vigil was held at Lakeview Park, where Brophy often walks the trails near her workplace at Kaiser Permanente. Coworkers said caring for patients has been especially difficult while waiting for answers.
People attended a vigil for missing Oceanside mother and ER nurse Angelica Brophy in San Marcos on July 15, 2026. (NBC 7 San Diego)
Ashley Seitz, a close friend and fellow night-shift emergency room nurse, described the emotional toll Brophy’s disappearance has taken on those closest to her.
“It’s a pendulum of emotions from hysteria to anger to confusion and back and forth,” Seitz said.
Seitz said she and four coworkers affectionately call themselves the “Taco Bellas.”
“We call ourselves the Taco Bellas because we also frequent Taco Bell to keep ourselves awake,” she said.
She said Brophy is known for bringing humor to stressful situations in the emergency room.
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“She’s just a goof ball. She’s the goofball of the group. She is Silly. She is fun,” Seitz said.
Brophy’s husband, Brent Brophy, attended the vigil with the couple’s children. He spent much of the evening with them and became emotional during the ceremony.
The gathering concluded with a candlelight procession around the park. Before it ended, Fabregas shared a message for his sister.
“Angelica, if there is anyway you can see this please know we love you beyond words. We are searching for you every single day. We are not giving up and we will never stop looking until you are home where you belong,” he said.
Search teams, mountain rescue volunteers and Brophy family members spent much of Wednesday searching for her. Her husband said the search around the pond at Palomar Mountain State Park is expected to resume Thursday.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.
Family members, friends and coworkers gathered Wednesday evening at Lakeview Park in San Marcos to support the family of missing Oceanside mother and ER nurse Angelica Brophy while urging the public to help investigators as the search continues.
Brophy, a mother of two and emergency room nurse, was reported missing after she was last seen July 6. She was spotted at Harrah's Casino in Valley Center that afternoon. About an hour later, she was seen alone in her car at Palomar Mountain State Park.
During the gathering, organizers read Bible verses as loved ones reflected on Brophy's disappearance.
Her brother, Martin Fabregas, asked anyone who may have seen something unusual to come forward.
"Search your memory. Did you notice a vehicle, a person or anything that seemed out of place?" he asked.
The vigil was held at Lakeview Park, where Brophy often walks the trails near her workplace at Kaiser Permanente. Coworkers said caring for patients has been especially difficult while waiting for answers.

People attended a vigil for missing Oceanside mother and ER nurse Angelica Brophy in San Marcos on July 15, 2026. (NBC 7 San Diego)
Ashley Seitz, a close friend and fellow night-shift emergency room nurse, described the emotional toll Brophy's disappearance has taken on those closest to her.
Family, friends and coworkers are gathering in San Marcos to support Angelica Brophy's loved ones as the search for the missing Oceanside mother and ER nurse enters its second week. NBC 7's Dana Williams reports.
"It's a pendulum of emotions from hysteria to anger to confusion and back and forth," Seitz said.
Seitz said she and four coworkers affectionately call themselves the "Taco Bellas."
"We call ourselves the Taco Bellas because we also frequent Taco Bell to keep ourselves awake," she said.
She said Brophy is known for bringing humor to stressful situations in the emergency room.
"She's just a goof ball. She's the goofball of the group. She is Silly. She is fun," Seitz said.
Brophy's husband, Brent Brophy, attended the vigil with the couple's children. He spent much of the evening with them and became emotional during the ceremony.
The gathering concluded with a candlelight procession around the park. Before it ended, Fabregas shared a message for his sister.
"Angelica, if there is anyway you can see this please know we love you beyond words. We are searching for you every single day. We are not giving up and we will never stop looking until you are home where you belong," he said.
Search teams, mountain rescue volunteers and Brophy family members spent much of Wednesday searching for her. Her husband said the search around the pond at Palomar Mountain State Park is expected to resume Thursday.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.