Mom found dead 6 days after she and toddler daughter went missing

SAN FRANCISCO -- The search continues for a missing toddler whose mother was recently found murdered. San Francisco police say they are casting a wide net to find 2-year-old Arianna Fitts, but they haven't found any concrete leads.

"On April 5, the San Francisco police was notified that Nicole and Arianna Fitts went missing," said Officer Grace Gatpandan.

A confidential San Francisco police source confirmed a body found in McLaren Park Friday is 32-year-old Nicole Fitts.

By phone, fellow Best Buy employee Michael Jacobo said he last talked to Nicole after her shift at the Harrison Street store on Friday, April 1.

He said she then exchanged texts with family hours later, saying she was in Fresno. That's the last time she was in contact with anyone.

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Dave Spencer also worked with Nicole at Best Buy and he said she stopped showing up for work about a week ago. "We call it, no call, no show. She had a few of those, everyone was wondering 'what's going on with Nicole,'" he said.

Spencer said Nicole was always worried about her daughter. "She had a babysitter around. She had trouble keeping her in a safe place while she was at work," he said.

And in the days and weeks leading up to her death, Nicole was emotional at work. "One time I was going on my break, she was crying in the hallway, she was going through a hard time," Spencer said.

Her family is now looking for answers in Nicole's murder and desperately trying to find Arianna.

"If you think you see her, or you think you have seen her, just please call someone," said the toddler's aunt, Kathryn Foxx.

The child's other aunt Contessa Fitts answered, "She's adorable, and she's such a smart kid, she's very just bubbly and outgoing."

Nicole and Arianna had wide ranging contacts in the state.

They lived in San Francisco, but family lives in Santa Cruz. And they had not seen the toddler in person since February.

Nicole's friend said Arianna had been staying with a sitter in Oakland while Nicole was at work.

And Nicole had an older child who is currently with the father's family in the Los Angeles area.

But so far, San Francisco police have not released or confirmed many details because they say it's an ongoing homicide investigation.