(ABC4) – New York authorities are searching for a woman who hasn’t been heard from since late August, just a short time after being in Utah.
The Suffolk County Police Department, based in New York, say 22-year-old Gabrielle Petito went missing while traveling.
A YouTube channel, which appears to be run by Petito and a man named Brian Laundrie, shows the pair camping in various locations in a Ford Transit van. In the channel’s about section, it explains the pair recently “decided to downsize our life into a little Ford transit connect to travel across the United States!” Police say the van has a Florida license plate.
In the single video on the YouTube channel, Petito and Laundrie are shown in numerous locations. At one point, the pair are even seen in Utah at Capitol Reef National Park. The video was posted on August 19. Photos from Arches National Park are also seen on Instagram accounts belonging to both Petito and Laundrie.
Petito was reported missing to Suffolk County Police by her family on September 11. The family tells police they were last in contact with Petito during the last week of August. Before that, Petito is believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Petito is described as a white female, approximately 5’5″ tall and 110 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads “let it be.” Police say the van she was traveling in has been recovered and she is not believed to be with Laundrie.
A Facebook page dedicated to finding Petito – ‘Find Gabby’ – outlines the timeline of Petito’s journey, saying she and Laundrie left New York on July 2. They road-tripped through Colorado and Utah, coming to the Beehive State around late July.
Within Utah, they traveled to Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Arches national parks before traveling to Moab on August 13. On August 24, they checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City. This is the last time Petito was seen. The next day, Petito’s family says they received a final call from here saying she was in Grand Teton.
Laundrie has reported returned to Florida with the van. He and Petito were also reportedly engaged.
Anyone with information about Petito’s disappearance is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. You can remain anonymous.
