Isabella Comas, a 21-year-old woman with distinctive pink hair, disappeared under deeply suspicious circumstances on January 11, 2026, in Avondale, Arizona, prompting a statewide Turquoise Alert and an investigation that has intensified fears across the Phoenix metropolitan area. The last confirmed sighting placed Comas leaving a friend’s residence near West Van Buren Street and North 111th Avenue around 3 p.m. She was driving her red 2011 Hyundai Sonata (Arizona license plate 2EA6LW), dressed in a baggy navy-blue shirt, blue pants with a white stripe, and possibly sandals. Standing 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing approximately 110 pounds, with brown eyes, Comas was scheduled to pick up her friend for work the following day but never arrived. She also failed to report to her own job and became completely unreachable by phone.
The rapid escalation of concern began on January 12 when her friend reported her missing after repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact her. By January 13, authorities located Comas’ Hyundai Sonata and cell phone near the intersection of 67th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix—roughly 10 miles from her last known location. The phone was described by investigators as “randomly planted” near a recycling center, a detail that immediately raised suspicions of deliberate disposal and foul play. The abandonment of both the vehicle and the device miles away from where she was last seen suggested intentional efforts to obscure her movements or mislead search efforts.
Surveillance footage released on January 14 captured Comas inside a QuikTrip convenience store, wearing a white t-shirt with a black logo, providing one of the final visual records before her disappearance. The images show her appearing calm and unaware of any immediate danger, heightening the mystery surrounding what happened in the hours that followed.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety issued a Turquoise Alert on January 13, activating the state’s emergency notification system designed for missing endangered adults under 65 when circumstances indicate potential danger and standard missing-person protocols have been exhausted. Named after Emily Pike, a missing Indigenous teenager whose remains were discovered earlier in 2025, the Turquoise Alert broadens the scope beyond child abductions, focusing on cases involving unexplained vanishings with signs of risk. The alert remains active as of January 19, 2026, urging the public to report any information that could lead to Comas’ safe return.
The investigation took a dramatic turn with the identification and arrest of Tommy Rodriguez, 39, Comas’ boyfriend, as a person of interest. Rodriguez was taken into custody on January 15 on charges including theft of means of transportation (related to the vehicle), criminal damage, and probation violation. During his court appearance, prosecutors presented “strong evidence” linking him to the stolen car and labeled him an “extreme flight risk.” Rodriguez addressed the court, stating, “My girlfriend came up missing,” and insisting he was “not trying to hide amid the investigation.” He remains held without bond.
Rodriguez’s criminal history has significantly amplified public alarm and investigative scrutiny. Court records reveal he was convicted at age 15 of fatally shooting a man during a robbery, serving an 18-year prison sentence before his release. Subsequent convictions include assault with a weapon and, most recently, stalking and assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2020. The 2020 stalking charge has drawn particular attention from investigators and observers, as it potentially indicates a pattern of obsessive, controlling, or violent behavior that could be relevant to Comas’ disappearance.
Avondale Police Department leads the multi-agency investigation in close collaboration with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Arizona Department of Public Safety. Detectives have described tips received from the public as “extremely helpful” in advancing the case. No motive has been publicly confirmed, and initial court documents keep specific charges sealed, though they clearly relate to elements of the disappearance probe. Authorities continue to urge anyone with information to contact them immediately, emphasizing the time-sensitive nature of the search given the suspicious circumstances.
The discovery of Comas’ phone near the recycling center stands out as particularly disturbing. The deliberate placement of the device—rather than it being lost, stolen, or destroyed—suggests an attempt to create distance between her last known location and any potential crime scene. Combined with the vehicle’s abandonment miles away, these actions point toward premeditation or efforts to cover tracks rather than a spontaneous or accidental event.
The broader context of the case highlights the critical importance of Arizona’s Turquoise Alert system in mobilizing rapid community awareness for vulnerable missing adults. Unlike Amber Alerts, which require evidence of abduction involving a child, Turquoise Alerts activate when endangerment appears likely but details remain unclear—allowing broader public engagement without meeting stricter criteria. The system’s use here reflects investigators’ assessment that Comas may be in immediate peril.
The Phoenix-area community has responded with widespread concern and solidarity. Social media platforms have filled with shared flyers, photos of Comas’ bright pink hair and warm smile, and urgent pleas for information. Friends describe her as outgoing, reliable, and full of life, making her sudden silence deeply out of character. The failure to follow through on simple, routine plans—picking up her friend for work—served as the initial trigger for reporting her missing.
As the investigation enters its second week, pressure continues to mount. Detectives are analyzing surveillance footage, tracking leads, and examining Rodriguez’s movements, communications, and associations. The sealed nature of charges against him limits public knowledge, yet the flight-risk designation and documented history of violence keep speculation and concern high. Whether Comas left voluntarily, met with harm, or was taken against her will remains unknown, but the combination of her abrupt disappearance, strategically abandoned property, and Rodriguez’s background fuels fears of the worst possible outcome.
The Turquoise Alert continues to serve as both a call for help and a beacon of hope. Every shared post, every remembered detail, every potential sighting could prove decisive. Isabella Comas remains missing, her absence a painful void felt by family, friends, and an entire community desperate for answers. In the relentless desert heat of Avondale and Phoenix, the search persists—driven by urgency, sustained by public awareness, and anchored in the desperate hope that she will be found alive and safe.
