Missing for nearly 3 years, Ruthey Smith's family pleads for help on her 22nd birthday

Dec. 27 should have been the day Ruthey Macenzie Smith gathered with her family and friends to celebrate her 22nd birthday. Instead, her family gathered beneath a billboard at 1301 Spring Street, pleading for the public's help in finding Smith, who has been missing for nearly three years.

Smith was last seen Mar. 2, 2022, near 69th Street and Figueroa in Los Angeles, an area notorious for gang violence and prostitution.

According to her family, Smith had been working in prostitution for some time as a way to gain financial independence and provide for her daughter.

After becoming a teen mom at 16, "everything was focused on her daughter," Smith's aunt, 33-year-old Amanda Lourenco, said. "Her whole world revolved around her."

Smith's mother, Kathryn Renesto, feared for her daughter's safety and said she did everything possible to save her. “I pretty much lived in my car on Figueroa for the first three months my daughter went missing,” she said.

“Putting myself in positions where my car got shot at,” Renesto added. “Fighting with pimps. I went from state to state. I did everything I could. I didn't care about putting myself on the front line ‘cause I had to save her.”

The family even held an intervention for Smith and sought help from Gems Uncovered, a nonprofit in Long Beach that provides support to those affected by sexual exploitation. Despite their efforts, Renesto feels she couldn't save her daughter.

She also believes Smith's lifestyle and her status as a Black woman have contributed to a lack of urgency in the investigation. "I definitely feel like they don't do enough when Black women go missing,” Renesto said. “It's unfair. My daughter deserves to matter.”

The initial handling of Smith's disappearance underscores her mother's concerns. The family approached the Los Angeles Police Department when Smith went missing, but they claim the department refused to take the case.

Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo, now a private investigator working on behalf of Smith's family, has called for cooperation between the Long Beach Police Department and the LAPD. "I urge the Long Beach Police Department, especially their human trafficking and vice units, to work together so we can bring a resolution to this case," Castillo said.

Although Smith was last seen in Los Angeles, the LBPD homicide unit, responsible for handling missing person cases, is leading the investigation. As of now, police have no leads.

Like the family, Castillo believes Smith is a victim of sex trafficking and is still alive. "Her family has actually submitted a DNA ref reference sample to NamUS," he said.

NamUs is a national system that allows families to match their DNA samples with deceased and unidentified Jane or John Does. Castillo says the family's DNA has not been linked to any Jane Does, giving her family hope she is still alive.

Castillo also believes the public's perception of young women who turn to prostitution is often misguided. "Some victims do not see themselves as victims," he said.

"They feel like that is the only way they can make a living. But that's a lie. These pimps are violent. They threaten them. They threaten their lives. They make threats against their families. And I believe Ruthey Smith is in that situation where she is a victim of violent human trafficking, Castillo said.

Smith's mother says the fight to find her daughter has made it hard to remember the fun they used to have on her birthday but reflected on the bittersweet memories of her Smith's birthday.

"She would always say, 'I know you're going to celebrate my birthday. Even though it's two days after Christmas, I better get my own presents on my birthday,'" Renesto recalled with a smile.

Ensuring Smith's birthday and Christmas were special was always challenging for Renesto, but she did her best. "Even if it was just the smallest things I could do for her, I just tried my hardest," she said.

The family's campaign to keep Smith's story in the public eye includes a billboard at 1301 Spring Street, made possible with help from former Long Beach council member Al Austin.

"When I first met Ruthey’s family and learned about her story, I wanted to do whatever I could to help get the word out and bring light to her story," said Austin.

"As a parent, I can only imagine the sleepless nights that her loved ones are experiencing. Ruthey’s young daughter and family deserve answers," he added.

Anyone with information about Ruthey Smith's disappearance is urged to contact the Long Beach Police Department at 562-985-4101 or visit LACrimeStoppers.org.

Fernando Haro contributed to this story.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Kathryn Renesto's first name.