NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Police are investigating the disappearance of a 22-year-old Long Island woman who went missing while on a cross-country road trip last month.
Gabrielle Petito, who grew up in Blue Point and moved to Florida with her boyfriend two years ago, was reported missing to the Suffolk County Police Department by her mother, who still lives on Long Island, around 6:55 p.m. Saturday.
According to police, Petito had been traveling in a white 2012 Ford Transit van with Florida license plate QFTG03 with her boyfriend when she stopped communicating with friends and family.
The van has been recovered.
She is believed to have been in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park when she last had contact with her family in late August.
Her mother tells Newsday that she FaceTimed with her daughter on either Aug. 23 or Aug. 24 and received text messages from Petito's phone through Aug. 30, but said she wasn't sure if those communications came from her daughter.
"The first couple of days when I wasn't getting responses, I believed she was in a place with no service," her mother, Nicole Schmidt told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall. "It was like day eight, nine that I really became concerned. I figured she couldn't be off the grid for that long."
According to reports, Petito last posted to her Instagram profile on Aug. 25 and the couple had posted a video documenting their van travels to YouTube on Aug. 19.
Petito and her boyfriend left on the cross-country trip, destined for Oregon, from Long Island at the beginning of July.
"As a mom I had concerns, my daughter going on a road trip, but I felt safe. They were together, they had a plan, they had an itinerary. We were excited for them," Schmidt said.
Many have been commenting "Where is she?" on an Instagram account that reportedly belongs to her boyfriend.
Petito is approximately 5 feet 5 inches 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." She also has a belly button piercing.
Hall reports the boyfriend is not missing.
No suspects or persons of interests have been identified in the case.
Asked whether she thinks something bad has happened to her daughter Schmidt said, "I don't know. I believe she's going to come home."
In a message to her daughter, the heartbroken Schmidt said, "We miss you."
"It's scary and it's nerve-wracking. We don't eat, we don't sleep. We're just actively looking for her, looking at tips, we just want to find her and bring her home," Schmidt said.
Petito's family has launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the search.
"Our focus is on finding Gabby to bring her home," a message on the fundraiser reads. "While we are working with the FBI, multiple law enforcement agencies, and outside resources to pursue any and all leads the family will need funds and resources to travel and pay for expenses related to an investigation and search on the other side of the country, any help is appreciated."
A Facebook page called "Find Gabby" has also been created providing information on the search.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on Petito's disappearance to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls can remain anonymous.
To report a crime anonymously, call 1-800-220-TIPS, utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. You may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000 if your tip results in an arrest.
The North Port Police Department in Florida is actively assisting in the case.
"We currently have no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port. With that said, the circumstances are odd," the department said in a statement posted to Facebook. "The vehicle she was traveling in was located here in North Port. So, we are actively gathering local details and any evidence to assist in finding needed answers."