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Sisters use social media to plead for safe return of Veta Belford who went missing from Sacramento Home Depot two weeks ago

Veta Belford, 19, was last seen leaving her shift at Home Depot in Sacramento, California, October 17, 2020, after being laid off from her job. She did not have a car and left on foot. Her family says security video outside the store captured Veta walking out of the parking lot toward Applebee’s around 3:45 p.m. Her phone has been turned off since that day. The Sacramento Police Department is investigating.

Three sisters in Sacramento, California are using social media to plead for the safe return of their sibling, 19-year-old Veta Belford, who has been missing for two weeks.

“We just want to know that she’s safe,” Veta’s older sister, Easter Kitiona, told Dateline. “We hope someone will see her photos and come forward with information.”

Veta Belford
Veta Belford

Veta Belford was last seen on October 17, 2020. Easter told Dateline that their father drove Veta to work at the Home Depot on Truxel Road in Sacramento, California for her shift that started at 2 p.m. When their mother drove to the store around 11:30 p.m. to pick her up, Veta was nowhere to be found.

“My mother had texted and said she was waiting in the car outside,” Easter explained. “She waited for a little bit, but when my sister still hadn’t come out a few minutes before midnight, she went to find out.”

Easter said her mother was told that Veta had left the store earlier that afternoon. They later learned from the manager that she had been laid off from her job.

“What we don’t understand is why she didn’t call someone for a ride,” Easter said. “She just walked out of the parking lot and that was it. We don’t know where she would go or who she would meet. It doesn’t make sense.”

Veta’s mother filed a missing persons report with the Sacramento Police Department just after midnight on October 18, while family members and friends drove around the area looking for her.

Veta Belford at her high school graduation.
Veta Belford at her high school graduation.

According to the Sacramento Police Department Public Information Office team, a detective with the missing persons unit has been assigned to Veta’s case and is following up with the investigation, which is currently open and active.

Easter told Dateline that detectives later told their family that a security video shows Veta walking out of the Home Depot parking lot in the direction of Applebee’s and AT&T. She was wearing a brownish/orange striped flannel shirt, denim pants, a rainbow ring and a small crossbody bag. The time stamp on the video was 3:45 p.m. - almost two hours into her shift.

Easter added that her sister had a cell phone with her, along with a phone charger. But when family members attempted to call her that night and in the days after, the phone was turned off.

“She always has her charger with her in case she needs to charge her phone,” Easter said. “For her phone to be off, it’s just strange.”

Easter told Dateline they are a tight-knit family who spend most of their time together, whether they’re at home or church. She added that her parents’ home is a loving environment and she doesn’t see any reason why her sister would leave on her own.

Veta, who lives at home with her parents and two of her sisters, is a full-time student at Sacramento State where she’s majoring in business management. She devotes a great deal of her time to her role as a youth leader at her church.

“She’s very involved in church and loves her role with the youth,” Easter said. “We don’t believe she would just leave… so we’re just very worried about her.”

The sisters have posted a montage of Veta’s photos and pertinent information on various social media accounts, including TikTok and online missing person groups specific to their Samoan-Polynesian heritage.

“Hopefully someone has seen her and contacts us,” Easter said. “Any information would help - we just need to know that our sister is OK.”

Veta is 5’4” tall, weighs approximately 215 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. She was last known to be wearing a brownish/orange striped flannel shirt, denim pants, a rainbow ring and a small crossbody bag

Anyone who might have information about Veta’s whereabouts is asked to call the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 808-5471.