COLLEGE PARK, MD — The University of Maryland Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding 22-year-old student Dilan Shaan Ashar, who remains missing days after he was last seen on campus.
Police said they issued another appeal Monday night on social media and are describing Ashar as “critically missing.” He left his residence around 2 a.m. Friday, and about 30 minutes later campus surveillance cameras recorded him at the Terrapin Trail Garage. That is the last confirmed sighting police have made public.
Police trace Ashar’s last confirmed movements to Friday morning
Investigators say the timeline places Ashar on campus in the early hours of Friday, shortly after he left where he was staying. The surveillance footage from the Terrapin Trail Garage became the key piece of evidence guiding the search.
University of Maryland police and Prince George’s County police initially worked together on the case. UMD police later became the lead agency after the university’s Security Operations Center located the surveillance video. Police have not said where Ashar may have gone after that sighting or whether they have identified any additional locations connected to his disappearance.
Search teams covered 110 acres around the garage
Crews searched about 110 acres near the Terrapin Trail Garage on Sunday, but the effort did not turn up any sign of Ashar. The search area focused on land around the campus garage where he was last seen on camera.
The renewed public appeal suggests investigators are still trying to fill in the gap between the last video sighting and his current whereabouts. Police are relying on both the search effort and public tips as they continue to piece together what happened after the early Friday appearance on campus.
What police say Ashar was wearing and how he is described
Police describe Ashar as 6 feet, 2 inches tall and about 185 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black UMD hoodie, gray sweatpants and white shoes.
That description is meant to help students, campus workers and nearby residents recognize him quickly if they saw him in the area. Authorities have not released any new details about his condition, destination or possible companions, and they have not publicly identified any suspected foul play.
Earlier missing-person report adds to the timeline
Police records also show an earlier missing-person report involving Ashar dated Sept. 20. According to police, his parents had contact with him on Oct. 1, and he was captured on campus surveillance early Oct. 2.
Officials have not explained the circumstances of the earlier report or what became of it. That leaves two separate points in the record: an earlier missing-person case in September and the later October campus sightings that police are using in the current search.
Family asks for privacy while investigators seek tips
Ashar’s parents told 7News they do not want to speak on camera right now and are focused on their family and on hoping their son comes home. Their comments came as police again asked anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone who knows where Ashar may be is urged to contact police. Investigators have not announced a deadline for the search, and the public appeal remains one of the main ways authorities are trying to gather new information.
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