Des Moines police, family share concern for safety of missing 18-year-old
The Des Moines Police Department said it is concerned about the welfare of a missing 18-year-old who is now believed to have left his home voluntarily.
Police said Roosevelt High School senior Abdullahi Sharif was last seen Friday leaving the Target at 5901 Douglas Ave. near Merle Hay Mall.
Target told vlog Tuesday that it turned over all surveillance video to Des Moines police. Police announced Tuesday that new evidence led them to believe Sharif left his home of his own volition.
vlog spoke with Sharif's mother, Fadumo Ahmed. Sharif's cousin, Ahmed Hashi, helped translate.
"She said she doesn't believe that he voluntarily left," Hashi said.
Sharif's family said there is no way he would not contact his mother for four days.
"His mother misses him," Hashi said. "The family, the kids, everybody misses him."
"We feel helpless, because we really don't know what happened," Roosevelt High School principal Kevin Biggs said.
School officials, family members and friends say the 18-year-old is a bright student who was not involved in drugs and did not have any prior mental health issues.
Ahmed said she calls her son's phone every hour, but it is turned off.
Shortly before he disappeared, Sharif posted a Snapchat that said, "I got bad news … bad bad news."
"(Ahmed) believes that there is someone else out there," Hashi said. "Someone else has that information and she is willing to talk to that person."
Ahmed said she had a message for her son.
"He is not in trouble," Hashi said on Ahmed's behalf. "His mom loves him. No matter what happens, she wants to see him home."
Des Moines Police said detectives searched for Sharif throughout the day Tuesday, asking businesses for surveillance video and speaking to residents.
Anyone with information regarding Sharif's location is asked to call the Des Moines Police Department at 515-283-4811.