Special to The Denver Post
By Mark H. Hunter

ALAMOSA - A national missing persons foundation has joined the hunt for a 19-year-old Monte Vista woman who disappeared in early January.

District Attorney Peter Comar, 12th Judicial District, announced that the Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation is posting a $5,000 reward for information that helps them find Danice Day. The single mother of a 3-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl hasn't been seen by friends or family since she left her waitress job Jan. 9 and went to her boyfriend' s rural ranch.

Danice Day has long blond hair, large blue eyes, pierced ears and a pierced left eyebrow. Her car, keys and wallet were recovered at a ranch where she was living with Victor Braun, the baby's father, reports say.

Braun told investigators that Day left his place with someone he didn't know. That person is a suspect but hasn't been charged, officials say.

The foundation is named after Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelossa, who disappeared and were later found murdered near Yosemite National Park in February 1999. Francis and Carole Carrington, Carole Sund's parents, posted a reward for their safe return and the return of their rental car.

"The Carringtons believe that the posting of these rewards and the media attention they received contributed to the car being located and gave them the first break in the case," Comar read from a foundation statement.

The $5,000 foundation reward will be added to a $1,000 reward posted by the San Luis Valley CrimeStoppers. Anyone with information is asked to call Shawn Woods, 12th Judicial District Investigator, at 719-589-3715, or CrimeStoppers at 719-589-4111.

"We know reward money can make a difference, because the foundation has already assisted in the apprehension of 17 murder suspects and one child molester," Comar said. "To date, the foundation has paid a total of $55,000 in rewards to citizens who did the right thing by coming forward and sharing the information they had."

In an unprecedented legal move, Comar took the Day case from Rio Grande County Sheriff Desi Medina on March 26 after Medina told the Rio Grande County commissioners about his friendship with Victor Braun and his father, Vernon. Medina also gave a graphic "opinion" of how Day was allegedly murdered. He later said his statements were "off the record" although it was a public meeting.

Day was reported missing Jan. 12 by her father, Rod Day. Undersheriff Charles Martinez headed the probe because of Medina's relationship with the Brauns, but Comar decided the case was tainted and put Woods in charge.

Attempts to contact the Brauns were unsuccessful, and they have not made any public statements.