A Nevada man arrested for the disappearance of 18-year-old Naomi Irion is refusing to cooperate or speak about the case while in custody, according to the victim’s family
On March 25, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office arrested 41-year-old Troy Driver at his home in Fallon, Nevada, in connection to Naomi’s disappearance. He is being held on kidnapping charges, according to the sheriff’s office.
DailyMail reports that Naomi’s family indicated that Driver isn’t speaking, but they want him to remain safe until they can locate Naomi. The victim’s brother, Casey Valley, posted on Facebook that Driver is the “only person” they know of that can “can give information that can help bring Naomi home safe.”
According to the Ukiah Daily Journal, this isn’t the first time Driver has been in legal trouble. He pleaded guilty in 1997 to robbery, accessory to murder, burglary, and firearm charges.
Court documents indicate that Driver, 17 at the time, helped get rid of the victim’s body, identified as Paul Steven Rodriguez. Rodriquez, a methamphetamine dealer, was shot and killed by his own girlfriend, Alissa Marie Moore, in California.
Where is Naomi?
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Naomi was last seen sitting in her vehicle on security footage on March 12, while waiting for a shuttle she takes to work when she disappeared. Naomi works for Panasonic in the Reno-Sparks area, her mother said, and it’s typical for her to catch the shuttle to work.
Police later found Irion’s car in an industrial park on March 15, about one mile from the Walmart. Investigators are said to have also found evidence in the vehicle that indicated a crime had occurred, leading authorities to label her disappearance as suspicious.
A man spotted on security footage walked from the direction of a homeless camp located nearby on the day in question; he began lurking in parked vehicles before getting in Irion’s car and driving away. KOLO reports that Irion was in the passenger’s seat as the man drove away.
Valley said that security footage seemed to show the suspect saying or doing something that made Naomi move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. Valley viewed the footage after going to Walmart to see if his sister had made it there.
It is not clear if Driver is the man identified in the security camera footage. But police had previously described a Chevrolet pick-up truck they said was believed to have a “direct connection” with the case, and authorities on Friday impounded a pick-up truck.
Meanwhile, Naomi remains missing.
“We need everyone’s help across the nation because the incident happened so close to [Interstate] 80,” Irion’s mother, Diana Irion, told reporters at a press conference this week, according to KRNV-TV. “She could be anywhere, anywhere in the nation.”
“Please save my daughter and bring her home.”
Naomi is described as a white female who stands 5-feet-11-inches tall with green eyes (one eye is green and brown). She has dyed black hair, according to her family, who created a GoFundMe page to help with search costs.
Anyone with information should call the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 775-463-6620 and reference case 22LY01068. You can also contact Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.
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[Feature Photo: Naomi Irion/Instagram]
