Latest news with #WeAreTheEssentials
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lakeland police, volunteer groups working to find man who went missing May 13
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Lakeland police and a group of volunteers are working to find a man who has been missing for weeks. Frederick Blackwelder, 71, spent most of his time in south Lakeland, where he and other family members live, according to Lakeland Police. '[He] just visits family and attends church so that's the area that he usually stays in,' said Officer Stephanie Kerr, public information officer at Lakeland Police Department. In the wee hours of May 13, police said, Blackwelder was driving toward Bartow on 98 South at 540A. It was the last time his vehicle, a 2006 white Toyota Scion TC with Florida tag number 665-3VY, was seen. 'If the public could just review their videos and see if it's possible that he had been in the area, it would certainly help us in locating him,' Kerr said. Pinellas man blames error on state report for uptick in car insurance rates Volunteer search and recovery group, We Are The Essentials, is also helping to locate him in coordination with the police department. 'These areas in yellow are areas that we've searched,' said Shelley Croft, private investigator and volunteer with We Are The Essentials, pointing to a map app on her phone. Croft said the group uses a mapping system to track where they've gone and where they still need to go, starting at the missing person's last known location. 'We don't just go rogue and go out and start searching because you have to have a starting point,' said Croft. This weekend, We Are The Essentials partnered with Sunshine State Sonar to search 30 bodies of water but found no sign of Blackwelder. 'Everybody deserves that closure,' Croft said. 'The unknown is heartbreaking and devastating for families when they don't know where their loved one is.' Police said Blackwelder was reported missing May 24th after his family members returned from vacation and could not locate him. 'Somebody who is very close to him reported him missing, cares for him and loves him and would like to see him found,' Kerr said. She said no foul play is suspected at this time. Anyone with information and/or videos of Blackwelder's vehicle is urged to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6966. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Family pleading for help finding missing St. Pete teen, reward increased to $20K
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A St. Petersburg family is pleading for help finding a teen who has been missing for 10 days. Allister Samer Nasr, 17, left his home on Bayou Grande Boulevard NE at 10 a.m. on March 1. He was last seen that same day riding his bike on 62nd Avenue NE. He was wearing blue shorts, a gray sweatshirt and white shoes. He was riding a tan Beach Cruiser bicycle. He also had a red backpack. For 10 days, family members have been relentlessly searching for any sign of Allister. On Tuesday, his brother Avicenne spent the day hanging flyers and canvassing neighborhoods. 'We're looking for dash camera footage, ring camera footage, anything. We want people to check their cameras and see if they've seen them anywhere around Saint Pete because at this point he's been gone for 10 days now and can be anywhere around the town,' said Avicenne Nasr. Allister's family found a note from him on Friday which raised concerns about his safety. St. Petersburg police are now considering him endangered due to concerns he may harm himself. 'It's very hard for us, but yeah, the police labeled him as endangered, so we're just trying to find him,' said Avicenne. Avicenne said the family wants anyone who spots the teen to take a photo or video and immediately report it to police. Above all he hopes Allister sees how much he's missed. 'We're hoping that he will be able to see it and hopefully try to come home because I miss him a lot and it's been hard. We've been awake, probably sleeping for only two hours a day maybe, and my dad's been definitely having a hard time with this as well,' said Avicenne. The nonprofit We Are The Essentials is assisting the family in the search. A reward of $20,000 is being offered for Allister's return. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
