Oakland police announce $10,000 reward for info in woman's slaying

OAKLAND, Calif - Oakland police announced a $10,000 reward Thursday for information about the death of Tatiana Dugger.

Dugger was 18 when she went missing in January. Her remains were discovered by a hiker in Siskiyou County on March 28 in a remote area on federal land about 8 miles outside Weed, the sheriff's office said.

KTVU has learned that investigators believe Dugger had been groomed by human traffickers and was the victim of sexual exploitation.

"This particular case stands at the intersection of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, homicide," said Sarai Crain, Oakland deputy chief of violence prevention. She was joined at a news conference with Dugger's sister Daneen Dugger and supporters.

"My sister Tatiana is the definition of Sunshien," Daneen said "She walked into a room, she made everything better. Her smile is contagious, and so is her laugh."

Dugger is from Oroville, and another sister said Tatiana left their hometown last January and planned to drive to Oakland with a man her family didn't know.

"We never knew him, we never knew him as a boyfriend, or nothing like that," Savannah Moreno said. "But you know, we aren't sure. She's 18. She could have just not told us that."

Her body was discovered three months later. Dugger's family reported her missing from the Oakland area on Jan. 9, the Siskiyou County sheriff's office said.

Tatiana and the man were staying at the Westwind Lodge on West MacArthur Boulevard near Broadway in Oakland.

Oakland police said they did a welfare check at the motel and there were no signs of a kidnapping, foul play or evidence that she was held against her will.

Tatiana has also been seen near a store at 21st Avenue and International Boulevard at about 2 a.m. Jan 9. International Boulevard is a busy thoroughfare popular with sex traffickers.

The investigation also brought investigators to Wood Park in Oakland, where police searched the area with dogs and Alameda County sheriff's deputies scoured the park with a drone.

Tatiana's mother last spoke to her for about an hour on Jan. 7, and "everything seemed fine," Moreno said.

Tatiana's Honda Accord was found in the Sacramento area, her sister said. But her phone and other items are still missing.

There are no suspects in her death, and her family hopes the reward money will help them find out what happened to her.