🚨 HEARTBREAKING TIMELINE REVEALED: The full 30-minute reconstruction of the moments before Lupita Zúñiga vanished after a dune buggy plunged into the Delta-Mendota Canal in Merced County, California, is out — and the final video footage is truly devastating. 😢💔

Here’s the chilling breakdown pieced together by investigators and family from witness accounts, crash evidence, and any available nearby video:

~12:00 a.m. (Jan 28, 2026): Dune buggy carrying 4 people — including 21-year-old Lupita, a young mom to an 18-month-old daughter — crashes into the fast-flowing Delta-Mendota Canal near State Route 140 and Gravel Pit Road, Gustine. Water is cold, current is strong, vehicle flips/submerges.
12:01–12:05 a.m.: Three occupants manage to escape and reach the bank, climbing out soaked and shaken. Lupita does not resurface — possibly trapped inside the overturned buggy or swept under by the current.
12:05–12:30 a.m.: No immediate 911 call is made from the scene. The driver reportedly flees on foot (later arrested for hit-and-run). The other survivors do not alert authorities right away — critical minutes tick by in the dark, freezing water.
~12:30 a.m. onward: Emergency services finally get notified. By the time divers arrive, Lupita is gone. Any recovered footage from nearby cameras shows only black, rushing water and the last fleeting shadows before everything disappears into the night.

Family calls this delay “heartbreaking” — if help had been called instantly, she might still be here.

Big questions remain: Why no immediate call for help? What really happened in those lost 30 minutes?

Full details:

Authorities and family members have pieced together a harrowing 30-minute timeline surrounding the disappearance of 21-year-old Lupita Lizbeth Zúñiga Ontiveros, who vanished after a dune buggy she was riding in plunged into the fast-moving Delta-Mendota Canal near Gustine late on January 27 into early January 28, 2026. The final available footage and witness accounts have been called “heartbreaking” by loved ones, highlighting the rapid escalation from a recreational outing to a life-threatening emergency with lingering questions about the immediate response.

Lupita, a Stockton resident and mother to an 18-month-old daughter named Deylani, was last seen by family on January 26 when she asked her sister, Judith Zúñiga Ontiveros, to care for the child while she went out with friends to “do them a favor” and promised to return by midnight. She never came home. The incident unfolded just after midnight on January 28 near State Route 140 and Gravel Pit Road in western Merced County, an area close to Gustine known for agricultural waterways.

According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports, a dune buggy-style vehicle carrying four occupants—Lupita, the driver (a 21-year-old man from Patterson identified in some reports as associated with the vehicle), and two other passengers—crashed into the canal bank around 12:00 a.m. to 12:05 a.m. The vehicle flipped or submerged in the cold, swift current of the Delta-Mendota Canal, an irrigation waterway with strong flows that can make escape difficult.

In the immediate aftermath, between approximately 12:01 a.m. and 12:05 a.m., three occupants managed to extricate themselves from the water and reach the bank. They reportedly climbed out safely, though details on injuries or conditions remain limited. Lupita did not resurface. No immediate 911 call was placed at the scene, according to officials. The driver left the area on foot, later located at his home and arrested on felony hit-and-run resulting in death or injury, felony vandalism, and misdemeanor obstruction of a peace officer charges. He was booked into Merced County Jail.

The delay in reporting has become a focal point of family frustration. Social media posts and family statements allege the crash was not promptly reported, with 911 contacted hours later—potentially critical time lost in a fast-moving waterway where hypothermia and drowning risks rise quickly. The Merced Communications Center received notification of the incident just after midnight, but the exact call time and initial response details have not been fully detailed publicly.

By around 12:30 a.m. and into the early morning, emergency responders—including CHP and Merced County Sheriff’s Office dive teams—arrived. Divers searched the canal from approximately 1:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. on January 28 without locating Lupita. No further official dive operations have been reported since then, prompting family criticism that authorities have not done enough, including denying requests for professional or local volunteer divers to assist.

The timeline’s reconstruction relies on official statements, witness accounts, and limited available video or surveillance from nearby areas. Family members have described any final footage as “heartbreaking,” showing the dark, turbulent water swallowing the scene with no sign of Lupita after the initial chaos. Her jacket and glasses were later found by searchers in an empty field about half a mile to a mile from the canal, adding to speculation about her fate and trajectory after the crash.

Lupita was described by uncle Cesar Ontiveros as a devoted mother and “bright light” to her family. The community has mobilized extensively: daily search parties from sunrise to sundown, organized by relatives and volunteers who do not know the family personally. A GoFundMe titled “Help Find Lupita Lizbeth Zúñiga Ontiveros” has raised over $6,000 for expenses including food, gas, and potential legal support to push for more resources. Participants have expressed emotional toll, with some noting the canal’s dangers—bodies can travel far in strong currents—and past local drownings where recovery took time or occurred downstream.

Authorities have not confirmed foul play or ruled out drowning as the cause, pending any recovery. The driver faces charges, but no additional arrests have been announced. Family members have voiced questions on social media about the night’s events: why Lupita was out late on a weekday, how the group reached the location (possibly hauling the dune buggy from Stockton, over 60 miles away), and who was responsible for immediate aid.

The case has drawn attention in the Central Valley, blending tragedy of a young mother vanishing with community self-reliance amid perceived slow official response. Searches continue, with hopes fading as days pass without new leads. For Lupita’s family, the reconstructed timeline serves as a painful reminder of those critical 30 minutes—moments that might have changed everything if reported sooner.

As of early February 2026, Lupita remains missing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office or CHP. The family continues pleading for help, emphasizing Lupita’s role as a loving mother whose daughter waits for her return.