TWEED, Ont. - A large salvage yard and nearby wooded areas were part of a ground search in an area north of Tweed, Ont., for missing Belleville woman Deborah Rashotte.

Police officers from Belleville and the OPP scoured a large region on Byers Lane just north of Tweed in hopes of locating Rashotte. Last heard from on Jan. 23, Rashotte was reported missing by her family about a month ago. She suffers from schizophrenia and was known to visit the location of Tuesday’s search.

Assisted by an OPP canine unit, officers searched along the east side of Byers Lane before moving south to a large scrap yard at the end of the road.

Residents in the area - many of whom refused requests for interviews or asked not to be identified - said they knew the police were looking for Rashotte because she has family who live in the area and she has spent time there in the past.

Kathy Chalk, who has lived in the area for more than a year, said it was disconcerting to see such a strong police presence on the quiet, rural road but added she understood the reason for them being there.

“I just feel so bad for this young lady,” Chalk said. “I just hope she’s found and she’s alive.” Chalk said the area is still shaken after the arrest of Col. Russ Williams and the charges laid against him in the murders of Jessica Lloyd and Marie France Comeau and the sexual assaults in Tweed that are also in Williams'

list of charges.

Though police have said there are no links between Rashotte¹s disappearance and Williams’ charges, Chalk said everything is hitting a little too close to home.

“I just wonder why they¹re searching here. I really, really hope she’s OK,"

Chalk said.