21-year-old barista Whitney Heichel has been reported missing after not showing up to work at a Gresham area Starbucks. CBS News has more details:
According to KOIN, the Oregon woman’s 1999 Ford Explorer was found after her disappearance in a Walmart parking lot in Wood Village with a broken front passenger-side window.
Investigators believe the car was seen at the park and at Larch Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge, about 25 miles from Gresham. KATU reports that on Wednesday, investigators found broken window glass in the park and examined tire tracks in the mud.
According to Gresham police, Heichel left her apartment at about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, and headed to her job about five minutes from her home. Her husband reported her missing just before 10 a.m. Detectives later confirmed that her ATM card was used in a gas station at 9:14 a.m. At about 11:17 a.m., family and friends distributing flyers discovered her car in the parking lot.
Starbucks posted on its Partner Facebook page: “We share the concerns of many about the whereabouts of our missing Oregon teammate, Whitney Heichel. We’re making every effort to support her family, friends & local authorities during this difficult time. Please keep them in your thoughts. Our hope is for Whitney’s safe return.”
