Police at the University of Maryland, College Park, are searching for 22-year-old student Dilan Shaan Ashar, who has been classified as critically missing after he was last seen early Friday morning near the Terrapin Trail Garage, according to authorities.
Ashar was last seen on surveillance video around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 2 at the Terrapin Trail Garage, after leaving his residence at about 2 a.m., WBAL reported. His parents had last communicated with him around 6 p.m. on Oct. 1 and contacted authorities after becoming concerned about his whereabouts.
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The University of Maryland Police Department said it began searching the area after security personnel spotted Ashar on campus surveillance footage. Officers and detectives went to the garage to begin an initial search.
Police have since carried out several searches around the campus and nearby areas. On Oct. 3, officers used a drone to search wooded areas near the garage and conducted a K-9 track that evening. The following day, a search covering approximately 110 acres was conducted with nearly 50 first responders and nine dogs.
Authorities also used a drone to search the university golf course and have repeatedly checked parking garages, wooded areas, Lake Artemesia and nearby parks. So far, the searches have produced no indication of Ashar’s whereabouts, according to UMPD.
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Ashar’s family said he is currently without his cellphone, wallet or any identification and released a video appealing for help in locating him. UMPD is continuing to review surveillance footage and has released screenshots showing Ashar outside the Terrapin Trail Garage on the morning of Oct. 2.
Police described Ashar as approximately 6 feet tall and weighing about 185 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black University of Maryland hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and white shoes.
UMPD is asking people who may have been in the area around the Terrapin Trail Garage during the early morning hours of Oct. 2 to review their vehicle or residential security-camera footage for possible sightings. The search remains ongoing, with police saying they will continue to recheck previously searched locations and examine additional areas as the investigation develops