Reward offered for info on missing Bay Area couple

EL SOBRANTE, Calif. (KGO) -- It's been a month since anyone's heard from Garrett Hand and Jamie Neal. Now Neal's coworkers at The Pedaler Bike Shop in El Sobrante are taking action. They've set up a reward fund that has since grown to $3,000 for information leading to the couple's whereabouts.

Flyers have been posted in Peru where Hand and Neal seemingly disappeared without a trace.

"We're functioning as a business like normal, but I think there's a cloud kind of hanging over our heads," bike shop co-owner Kim Jerge said.

Hand and Neal left for their six-month cycling adventure to South America in late November. Now, the U.S. Embassy in Peru is helping with the search. The State Department had warned of potential kidnappings targeting Americans in mid-February.

"I don't think they're just lost; I think something's wrong," coworker Ron Hammar said.

Hand and Neal's friends and family are hoping that the reward will grow. They've set up an account at Mechanic's Bank, where anyone can walk into any branch and make a contribution.

MONDAY UPDATE:

A State Department official confirms to ABC News that the couple have not been heard from in one month.

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missing person, bikes, reward, east bay news, lilian kim

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