KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Shanika Small, 20, of Dauphine, sent a text message to one her friends at 3 a.m. Saturday saying “call 911”.
She has not communicated with anyone since and her friends have not been able to contact her, although she is “addicted” to her Blackberry handset, according to her friend, Nyasha Holder.
Holder is asking the public to participate in a search from 4:30 p.m. Monday in Dauphine, in the vicinity of Small’s apartment, which borders the Fenton area.
Holder has been using Facebook and Blackberry messages to ask the public for help try to locate Small, who is described as brown in complexion, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown eyes and relaxed shoulder-length hair. She is also said to have a birthmark on one of her upper thighs.
Holder told I Witness News Sunday night that Small, a family friend, sent the “call 911” text message to her brother, with whom she was exchanging text messages up to about midnight Friday.
At the time of the text conversation, Small told Holder’s brother that that she was at home. However, Holder’s brother did not see the “call 911” text message until later Saturday morning and Small missed that day a dance class that she usually attends.
“This is just not like her,” Holder said of the employee of Shepard’s Trading, who was seen by members of the public at Heritage Square in Kingstown and close to Aunt Jobe’s supermarket in Arnos Vale Friday afternoon.
Holder said Small’s landlord saw the tenant come in around 8 p.m. Friday.
Holder’s has checked with the nation’s hospitals and health centres and she does not know Small to have left the country or having travelled to the Grenadines.
The police have been notified of the development and have been following some leads, according to Holder.
Holder said that Small’s parents live overseas but her mother, who contacts her everyday, has also not been able to reach her only child.
Small does not have a boyfriend and her other friends say they do not know here to be dating anyone.
However, Holder said that according to friend, Small has told them “a particular guys is aggressively trying to get her to date him”.
Reports reaching the Holders Sunday evening say that Small about 7:30 p.m. Friday asked a neighbour if the neighbour know a man who had been walking behind her.