WATCH: A mother's desperate plea for help in finding her missing daughter. ‘Gabby is very much loved’
Andrea North participated in a news conference Thursday at Windsor Police headquarters, pleading with the public for information about where her daughter is.
Gabrielle Vinall, 19, hasn’t been seen or heard from since Jan. 5.
“I think about Gabrielle every minute of every day and I hope and pray more than anything that my daughter will be returned to us safely,” North said Thursday. “Gabby is the light of my life. She is very much loved.”
North said she hasn’t heard from her daughter in more than 41 days.
“This is every parents’ worst nightmare,” said North. “So please if there’s anything that you’re aware of that could help to bring my daughter home safely please contact the police immediately.”
Investigators also say the young woman hasn’t used any financial accounts nor has she been active on any social media accounts.
“This is a serious and urgent investigation,” Staff Sgt Ted Novak told reporters Thursday. “We believe she may be out of the area. We’ve expanded our search to the rest of the province.”
Novak said they’ve activated their Major Crime tip line for anyone who thinks they may have seen Vinall.
It’s (519) 255-6700 ext. 4305.
Novak asked anyone with information to contact police directly, and not send their tips to the family members via social media.
“If it’s a valid tip and a strong tip, we want to get that directly and that saves the family having to read it, forward it to us,” said Novak.
“We don’t think its a criminal investigation. She’s missing and that’s the way we’re treating it at this point,” Novak says Vinall lived a “transient” lifestyle.
“She’s well known to downtown service providers and our community partners and she hasn’t accessed those partners and that’s why we believes she’s out of the city,” said Novak, who noted they’ve sent out a “provincial alert” on Vinall’s disappearance.
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