At 9:30 PM on February 10, Rene Yanez mounted his horse, La Mora, and left Darlington Stables in South San Gabriel with his white pit bull terrier, Queen. He had planned to go for a nighttime ride along the San Gabriel River. He did this often; night rides are not uncommon for an experienced horseman such as Yanez who was familiar with the area. He vanished while on a moonlit ride along the San Gabriel River. The following day, his dog and horse returned to the stables without Rene. La Mora's saddle was askew and his blanket dripping wet. The horse's appearance prompted three days of continuous searching in the Whittier Narrows Flood Control Basin. Search dogs picked up the missing man's scent at a spot midway between the Whittier Narrows Dam and San Gabriel Boulevard, but a detailed search yielded nothing.