California missing mother's family no longer has P.I. because police don't want case ‘jeopardized’  

The family of Maya Millete, a Southern California woman who has been missing since early January, told Fox News on Tuesday they no longer have a private investigator because the city’s police department did not want the case jeopardized.   

"We had (a P.I.) but it didn’t really work out because there was really no information that he could have brought forward because the Chula Vista Police Department was keeping everything hush-hush. For now, they don’t want to jeopardize anything," Richard Drouaillet, Millete’s brother-in-law, told Fox News.

Millete disappeared from her family’s home in Chula Vista – just 10 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico – on Jan. 7, following a fight with her husband, according to reports and family members.

Millete’s husband, Larry, told San Diego’s FOX 5 he thought his wife had gone for a hike to blow off some steam but she never returned. Her car was in the driveway, her phone was turned off, and none of her credit cards were used. The family called the police a few days later when she didn’t show up for her daughter’s birthday party, according to the station. Drouaillet said he and others have been searching for Millete non-stop ever since.

"Almost every weekend, or even twice a week if we find some time, we’ll go down there," said Drouaillet, who lives in Moreno Valley, about 100 miles north of Chula Vista.  "We’re just basically focusing on searching, walking around different areas. Hoping to find something … that will give us a clue."

Police served a search warrant at the home Millete shares with her husband and three kids. 

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"The police haven’t really told us anything. They haven’t really given us any details on anything that they found from the search warrant. Everything’s still under investigation and, unfortunately, they don’t want to leak anything out," Drouaillet said. "They don’t want to sabotage or risk anything."

Drouaillet said his family had hired a private investigator to get answers, but police felt that he would "jeopardize the investigation."

"He wanted to interview some of the neighbors but (the) police asked him not to. Which is really unfortunate. It would’ve helped a lot," Drouaillet said of the P.I.

Meanwhile, Drouaillet and his wife have not had contact with Maya’s husband Larry or the couple's three children. 

"Larry’s been pushing everybody away. He’s been closing doors. Hasn’t really been helpful with us," Drouaillet said.

Larry Millete did not provide updates to Fox News but said the "ordeal" has been "really difficult" for his family.

The Chula Vista Police Department told Fox News there are no new updates in Millete's disappearance and that it is still being classified as a "missing persons" case. 

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The San Diego Sheriff’s Department on Sunday said it had received inquiries about bone fragments found near the 4600 block of Dehesa Road near Sycuan Reservation."

The Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that the bones were those of an animal and not human remains.