Who is Nija Townsend Jr? 'Dedicated' Navy sailor ‘who always showed up for work’ goes missing in San Diego
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: A Navy sailor from Texas has mysteriously vanished after failing to report back to his ship in San Diego, sparking a frantic search by his family and authorities.
Nija Townsend Jr, who serves on the USS Germantown (LSD-42), was on weekend leave when he failed to report back to his ship on Monday, October 2.
Nija Townsend Jr's shocked collegues and family say 'this is very out of character'
His colleagues contacted his mother, Courtney Frazier, to find out if she knew where he was.
Frazier said she was shocked and worried by the news as her son was a responsible and dedicated sailor who had never missed his duty before.
“His lieutenant said no he has not done this before, this is very out of character, and he always shows up for work,” she told Fox News.
Nija Townsend Jr's mother was allegedly told it was 'too early' when she tried to file a police report
She tried to file a police report with SDPD and with NCIS on Monday on her own, but was allegedly told it was too early and there were no signs of “foul play or imminent danger.”
She disagreed with this assessment and urged the authorities to act quickly.
“At what point does it become indicative of foul play or imminent danger?” she said, adding “Wouldn’t it be better to be safe than sorry?”
Missing Navy sailor's phone was still on but hasn't been used as investigators try to locate him
She also claimed that investigators’ requests to his phone company to try to ping his location were denied because they lacked the authority.
She attempted to ask his cellphone carrier, Verizon, to ping his phone but was told they could not track his location data without being requested by authorities.
She said his phone was still on with battery but had not been used for any calls or data since he went missing.
The San Diego Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are reportedly working together with Naval officials to help locate Townsend, who is from Lake Jackson in Texas.
“The health and welfare of our sailors is a top priority and we will continue to work with local authorities to help locate this service member,” Cdr Arlo Abrahamson, Public Affairs Officer for Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said in a statement.
Nija Townsend Jr has no issues with mental health or drugs
Townsend is not believed to have any issues with drugs or mental health. He is described as being about five ft 10 inches tall, weighing between 160-170lbs who wears glasses.
His loved ones are now pleading the public to assist in their search, with his aunt Cynthia Diaz Richardson helping spread the word on social media.
“This is unlike him not to report back to duty. Anyone that knows him knows his character and that he is responsible and would never just go missing without any word or without anyone knowing where he is at,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Asking for tons of prayers and support and for y’all to spread the word on helping us find our loved one," the post continued.