COLLEGE PARK, MD — The family of a missing University of Maryland student is publicly pleading for help as police continue searching for 22-year-old Dilan Shaan Ashar. University of Maryland police released a video Tuesday showing his mother asking for her son to come home and urging anyone with information to speak up.
Ashar was last seen leaving his residence around 2 a.m. Friday, according to police. The last known video placed him near the Terrapin Trail Garage about 2:30 a.m. Police describe him as critically missing, and they say he did not have his phone, wallet or identification with him.
Mother’s message asks for her son to return home
In the video shared by police, Ashar’s mother speaks directly to him and says the family loves him and hopes he is safe. She is seen holding hands with two other family members as they make the appeal.
She described him as kind and thoughtful, saying he cares deeply about people. She also said he loves sports and cooking. The family’s message was meant to widen concern for Ashar’s whereabouts and encourage anyone who may have seen him to contact police.
Timeline places last contact before his disappearance
Police said Ashar’s parents last spoke with him on Oct. 1, one day before he was last seen. That gap has become an important part of the investigation as officers try to piece together his movements and determine where he may have gone after leaving campus housing early Friday.
Investigators have not released information about why he left or where he may have been headed. The focus has remained on reconstructing his route using security video and search operations around the university grounds and nearby wooded areas.
Drones, dogs and dozens of responders searched the area
The search expanded quickly after Ashar was reported missing. Police said drones were used Oct. 3 to search woods near the garage, followed by K-9 teams. Early Oct. 4, another search covered about 110 acres near the Terrapin Trail Garage.
That effort included about 50 first responders and nine dogs, according to officials. Later, drones were deployed near the university golf course. Prince George’s County police also assisted in the search as agencies worked across a broad section of campus and surrounding land.
Police have rechecked parks and Lake Artemesia
University of Maryland police said they have checked nearby parks and Lake Artemesia and plan to keep revisiting those areas. The repeated searches reflect how much of the investigation has depended on outdoor terrain and the locations where Ashar was last traced.
Officials have not said whether they found any sign of him in those searches. For now, the public appeal remains a central part of the effort, with police asking residents, students and others in the area to be alert for any information that could help.
Description and clothing may help witnesses identify him
Ashar is described as 6 feet 2 inches tall and about 185 pounds. Police said he was last seen wearing a black UMD hoodie, gray sweatpants and white shoes. Those details remain important for anyone who may have seen someone matching his description near campus or in nearby neighborhoods.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the University of Maryland Police Department at 301-405-3555. Police have continued to frame the case as a critical missing-person search and are urging the public to come forward with even small details that could help locate him.
University police keep the search active as family waits
The disappearance has prompted an ongoing search effort centered on the College Park campus and surrounding areas. With family members now speaking publicly, the case has shifted from a routine missing-person response to a broad appeal for help from anyone who might have seen Ashar early Friday.
Investigators have given no indication that the search is ending. They continue to ask for tips while relying on videos, drone scans, K-9 teams and ground searches to narrow the possibilities and find Ashar as soon as possible.
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