The Body Of An East San Diego County Mother Was Found In Portland, As Cops Seek Her Killer

RAMONA, CA — The family of a 27-year-old east San Diego County native, whose body was found in a Portland park, is asking for help finding the man suspected of murdering her.

Kathryn Muhlbach's body was discovered on Dec. 9 at the Powell Butte Nature Park in Portland, Or. Jose Caraballo, 43, Muhlbach's boyfriend, is wanted on suspicion of murdering her, according to the Portland Police Department. He is known to have contacts in the San Diego area according to both the police and Muhlbach's family.

"Caraballo is believed to have fled the Portland area; however, his last known address is within the Portland city limits," the department said. "He is known to have associates in Oregon, California and Mexico."

Specifically, Jen Keller, Muhlbach's oldest sister, told ABC San Diego News that Caraballo has contacts in Ramona, Chula Vista, Tijuana and Rosarito.

A nationwide arrest warrant issued for Caraballo has not yet yielded results as of Tuesday.

Anyone who sees Caraballo or believes they have information that could lead to his arrest is asked to call 911 immediately, according to the Portland Police Department.

Muhlbach's sister Markie Battisti has organized a GoFundMe to help with necessities for bringing her two young nephews home to Southern California.

The family believes that Caraballo "groomed her and moved her away" from San Diego to Oregon, where he then "isolated her, abused her and killed her," according to the GoFundMe website established to raise funds for her sons.

"She was a beautiful person and deserves justice," Keller said. "She's a young woman who had so much life to live, so much to give to this world, and she was taken from us."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the fundraiser has collected nearly $10,000, according to the site. Funds raised will assist with the funeral and other expenses for her sons, aged 4 years old and 9 months old.

"A Mother's love is always with her children," Battisti wrote of Muhlbach on the fundraiser site. "Losing a mother is one of the deepest sorrows a heart can know. But her goodness, her caring, her wisdom live on like a legacy of love that will always be with you. May that love surround you now and bring you peace"