Ristovski was left his Los Angeles, California home on March 7, 2011. He was traveling on Interstate 10 near the Arizona and New Mexico state line when his white 1996 GMC Safari ran out of gas near milepost 384. He called his fiance on March 9 to ask for money, and this was the last time anyone heard from him. Ristovski left the vehicle on foot. Searchers tracked his footprints for sixteen miles east into New Mexico, then lost the trail at Steins Pass just outside of Lordsburg, near the railroad tracks at milepost 3 on Interstate 10, sixteen miles from his vehicle. His cellular phone, wallet and water bottle were found eight miles north of milepost 388.

Ristovski's parents said he'd left home on several occasions after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but he was never gone more than a couple of days. He has a degree in business administration from California State University at Long Beach and worked as a floor technician at the time of his disappearance. He left an infant child behind in California. Both California and New Mexico Police are investigating his disappearance. His case remains unsolved.