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2 Friends Missing Since Sunday Found Dead In Vehicle Submerged In Stanislaus River Near Ripon

RIPON (CBS13) – Two Stockton women were found dead in a car that went into the Stanislaus River near the Spring Creek Country Club, authorities say.

Ripon police say, on Tuesday, an employee of the country club noticed a vehicle in the river near the southeastern part of the golf course.

Alyssa Ros, 23, and Xylona Gama, 22, were at the country club for a wedding on Sunday, but how they ended up in the river is still a mystery. The women were longtime friends from Stockton and had planned to drive back to Modesto where Ros' father lives after the wedding.

But when they never showed, and their phones went straight to voicemail, Danny Ros says he knew something was wrong.

Both women were reported missing, and on Tuesday, Ros says a disturbing tweet surfaced from a country club employee about the bodies being found.

After the medical examiner confirmed the tragic news, the Ros family created a small memorial near the site. The grieving father says he hasn't been able to sleep knowing his daughter is gone.

"You just wish that it was a dream. I was pinching myself. I couldn't think straight," he said. "For a father to lose their daughter when you're supposed to go before her, it just tore me apart."

Alyssa Ros was a graduate of Weston Ranch High School but was living in Southern California for college, majoring in business and communications. Her father says her goal was to open a modeling agency.

Exactly how the vehicle ended up in the water is unclear. An investigation is still underway, but Ripon police say there are no suspicious or criminal circumstances.

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