Family of missing mother searches for answers after she disappears from Oldsmar Walmart
TAMPA, Fla. - A mother of two has been missing since Thursday after her husband dropped her off at a Walmart in Oldsmar.
Anu Awasthi had a hair appointment at the salon inside the Walmart on Tampa Road. Her husband, Vikas Awasthi, told FOX 13 he dropped her off that morning, but when he came back an hour later, she was gone.
Pictured: Anu Awasthi
"And, I asked the salon person, and she said, ‘yes, she walked out right after you,’" her husband said.
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That statement was confirmed by staff at both Walmart and the nearby CVS, Vikas Awasthi said. He told FOX 13 the two stores allowed him to view their surveillance video, which showed his wife making her way to Tampa Road shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday.
"And then she disappears from view. And that's the last confirmation thing we have," Vikas Awasthi said.
"We've been looking for her for four days, now. We still haven't heard from her or heard anything about her," Anu Awasthi’s son, Varun, said.
Pictured: Anu Awasthi's husband and two sons.
On Sunday, the family gathered with community members to spread fliers with Anu Awasthi’s picture on it with information about the mom of two. They’ve also been up front about her struggles with depression after the recent death of her father.
Pictured: Anu Awasthi
The family told FOX 13 that if Anu Awasthi went to seek help at a medical facility, they want their beloved wife and mom to hear the following message:
"We hope that she's safe. We hope that somebody is taking care of her. Whoever is taking care of her, just please take care of her. Let her be safe. Let her be good. Whenever she's ready, you can come back home. The boys are here. They are missing her like crazy," Vikas Awasthi said.
"We try not to go into the dark place and think of the worst case scenario," Anu Awasthi’s son, Rohan, told FOX 13. "But at this point, it's getting harder and harder not to go there, and we’re still trying to keep a positive mindset."