marisol chicas. nbc's kristen welker joins us from burbank with the latest. any progress made with investigators looking for these people? >> reporter: no, not yet, alex. and it's certainly a tense situation here in southern california. but we can tell you that investigators will be scouring the wilderness areas surrounding palmdale. that's about an hour north of los angeles. they're really going to be focusing on the remote areas there in that wilderness. they couldn't see those areas when they were searching last night. again, they are looking for 1 people. five adults -- 13 people. five adult, eight children ages 3 through 17. again this all came to their attention yesterday afternoon when two huhs of the missing women came forward to police and said they were concerned about where their family members could be, particularly worried because they found a purse. inside that wupurse, cell phone personal documents, and really disturbing letters. take a listen to how a spokesperson with the sheriff's d

. >> reporter: 32-year-old salvadoran immigrant reyna marisol chicas was leading the group which authorities described as cult-like. notes found by relatives raised concern that they may have been on a religious suicide mission. >> in essence, they indicated there may be a journey to the next life. there was allegorical references, perhaps to jesus, perhaps to we want to visit our deceased relatives, things like that. >> reporter: before they went missing the group was seen praying in this palmdale house. >> quiet people, nothing out of the ode. i mean nice people. >> reporter: on saturday afternoon relatives went to authorities concerned that chicas had brainwashed their loved ones. >> what we are lead to believe is that it is an absolutely unorthodox approach to a western religion. >> reporter: authorities had actually received a call about the group hours before they were reported missing. a deputy encountered them praying in a school parking lot at 3 a.m. on saturday. >> benign, very coop rative. the kids seemed very happy. the deputy obviously querys what are you doing here, what is goi

marisol chicas. now, as you mentioned, eight children are among the missing. they are ages 3 through 17 so there is a lot of concern this morning about recovering those children. officials also believe as you said they may be immigrants from el salvador. now, last night officials really flocked to this palmdale neighborhood which you're looking at right now where the missing live. they were reported missing yesterday afternoon by concerned relatives. they say these 13 people disappeared after a prayer service. now, these relatives became increasingly concerned when they found a purse that belonged to one of the missing women. that purse contained documents, cell phones, as well as really disturbing letters that talked about going to meet their relatives who were deceased, going to meet jesus. here's what one official had to say late last night. take a listen. >> well, they belong to a cult-like religious organization we believe. at least that's all the indications headed up by a woman, a female. and