Friends mourn Southern California woman found dead while backpacking in Big Sur

BIG SUR, Calif. (KABC) — Loved ones are remembering the 37-year-old Southern California woman whose body was found in the wilderness near Big Sur.

Joanna Shields of Carlsbad was discovered on April 9 by a group of hikers in the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Her death remains under investigation and is considered suspicious.

Shields is described as someone who loved nature and brought brightness to those around her.

She frequently glided through the streets of San Diego on her skateboard. She was a brand ambassador for Evolve Skateboards.

“She just had