TAMPA, Fla. — The family of a Tampa mother said they're desperately searching for her after she vanished on Thursday night.
Anu Awasthi was last seen leaving a Walmart just past 10 a.m. on Tampa Road in Oldsmar.
Her husband Vikas Awasthi dropped her off for a hair salon appointment. Security cameras captured her leaving Walmart and walking by a CVS Pharmacy onto Tampa Road.
The family held a vigil for Anu nearby where she was last seen on Sunday evening. Loved ones and strangers handed out fliers detailing information about her disappearance.
"I'm really worried about her," Vikas Awasthi said.
The family of Anu said she had been living with depression after the loss of her father earlier this past summer.
Vikas Awasthi said she had forgotten her cell phone at home while the two were in a hurry to get to her appointment on time. However, she has her credit cards with her. The family has been monitoring any activity that could indicate where she may be.
Anu Awasthi was described by her family as social, cheerful, and kind.
"She's what holds his family together," Vikas Awasthi said. "She easily strikes up conversations with whoever's sitting next to her on a flight. She's just a wonderful, friendly person."
Their oldest son Varun Awasthi said it was heartening to see the crowds of people gathered to find his mother.
"All we want to do is just see her healthy and, like, happy and just back home with us," he said.
Her family describes her as 5-foot-4 and was last seen wearing dark blue jeans and a blue shirt with purple and white horizontal stripes.
The family is urging anyone who may have seen her or have any information on her location to contact law enforcement.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office sent the following statement:
"Deputies responded to 3801 Tampa Road on Thursday, August 10, 2023, for a call referencing a missing adult female. The investigation is still open and active."
