Payton Moreland

But the thing with social media is, you sometimes never know who is looking at your profile, who is waiting for your updates, looking to connect with you through a screen. Especially when you're someone with a big following. Which is why, when an influencer goes missing these days, the police often turn to social media to see what was happening in their DMs.

But today's case is a reminder that while social media and the people we encounter on it can certainly be unpredictable, the real threat doesn't happen online. It happens in the real world. So for today's case, we are turning back the clock to 2019 and we are heading to Las Vegas to meet 24-year-old Esmeralda Gonzalez. Now, unlike a lot of people living in Vegas, Esmeralda is not a transplant.

But today's case is a reminder that while social media and the people we encounter on it can certainly be unpredictable, the real threat doesn't happen online. It happens in the real world. So for today's case, we are turning back the clock to 2019 and we are heading to Las Vegas to meet 24-year-old Esmeralda Gonzalez. Now, unlike a lot of people living in Vegas, Esmeralda is not a transplant.

But today's case is a reminder that while social media and the people we encounter on it can certainly be unpredictable, the real threat doesn't happen online. It happens in the real world. So for today's case, we are turning back the clock to 2019 and we are heading to Las Vegas to meet 24-year-old Esmeralda Gonzalez. Now, unlike a lot of people living in Vegas, Esmeralda is not a transplant.

She's actually spent most of her life there. She and her two brothers grew up in the historic neighborhood of West Las Vegas. Maybe not a place you'd venture to if you were looking for casinos, nightclubs. But for Esmeralda and her family, this was home. Her family was from Michoacan, Mexico and came to the States in the 90s looking for opportunities.

She's actually spent most of her life there. She and her two brothers grew up in the historic neighborhood of West Las Vegas. Maybe not a place you'd venture to if you were looking for casinos, nightclubs. But for Esmeralda and her family, this was home. Her family was from Michoacan, Mexico and came to the States in the 90s looking for opportunities.

She's actually spent most of her life there. She and her two brothers grew up in the historic neighborhood of West Las Vegas. Maybe not a place you'd venture to if you were looking for casinos, nightclubs. But for Esmeralda and her family, this was home. Her family was from Michoacan, Mexico and came to the States in the 90s looking for opportunities.

I looked it up and that's how you say it, I'm pretty sure. Michoacan. That's how it's said. But if I did say it wrong, don't blame me, blame the internet. So, born on May 26th, 1995.

I looked it up and that's how you say it, I'm pretty sure. Michoacan. That's how it's said. But if I did say it wrong, don't blame me, blame the internet. So, born on May 26th, 1995.

I looked it up and that's how you say it, I'm pretty sure. Michoacan. That's how it's said. But if I did say it wrong, don't blame me, blame the internet. So, born on May 26th, 1995.

I'm here after you. Esmeralda.

I'm here after you. Esmeralda.

I'm here after you. Esmeralda.

Maybe like 2020.

Maybe like 2020.

Maybe like 2020.

Yeah, I definitely feel like Influencing was known, well known in 2019, but not maybe as common as like everyone trying to be an Influencer type thing.

Yeah, I definitely feel like Influencing was known, well known in 2019, but not maybe as common as like everyone trying to be an Influencer type thing.

Yeah, I definitely feel like Influencing was known, well known in 2019, but not maybe as common as like everyone trying to be an Influencer type thing.

So she's born in Mexico and then her and her family come to the States in the 90s. So Esmeralda really couldn't have been older than five when the family found the small community in Vegas and decided to go there and call it their own.