TORONTO — Police say they have spoken with the man who appeared in a surveillance video showing the last known whereabouts of a missing Markham woman but the interaction yielded no clues.
York Regional Police released surveillance video on Monday they believe shows Taneesha Brown briefly talking with an unknown man minutes after she was last seen.
The video shows Brown walking through a field at Bur Oak Secondary School in Markham.
READ MORE: Police seek help locating 25-year-old Markham woman missing since Tuesday
Police said the man in the video was approached by Brown and was asked how he was doing.
The man then asked if she was alright as she was not dressed for the weather but indicated she was fine and was “starting on a journey.”
“We’ve have had a lot of tips coming forward, a lot through Crime Stoppers, a lot directly to our investigators, but at this point and time we still have nothing that’s panning out,” said Const. Andy Pattenden, adding that the York Regional Police marine unit was searching ponds near the high school Monday.
“Our investigators are telling me that based on that interaction that it isn’t providing any more clues in this investigation. We did have some reason to believe that Taneesha recently converted her religion, as was stated in an earlier press conference with her family, and maybe her journey is part of that — we don’t know.”
Brown, 25, has been missing for a week and hasn’t been seen since she left a relative’s home last Tuesday.
Her family and police are concerned about her safety because she has a mental illness.
“I believe she’s on a journey to spread her love,” said Kim Mazerrolle, Brown’s mother. “She’s a very loving girl, with a very warm heart. She just wants to spread it with everyone.”
READ MORE: Video shows missing Markham woman talking with man minutes after she was last seen
Brown’s brother, Kevin Mazerolle, said he had also searched the area around the high school in hopes of finding his sister.
“I walked through the back trails, I looked around for her out there because you never know,” he said.
Brown is described by police as a black woman standing 5’5″ tall, weighing 122 pounds, with black shoulder-length hair and pink highlights.
She was last seen wearing a traditional Muslim outfit consisting of a white, knee-length dashiki, with white pants underneath, a white hijab on her head and carrying a black purse.
“I’m worried sick,” said Kim Mazerolle. “It’s hard to sleep, it’s hard to eat, you’ve got a nauseated feeling all the time.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7541 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips.
VIDEO: Taneesha Brown, 25, vanished from her aunt’s house Tuesday. Police are concerned for her well-being. Mark Carcasole reports.
With files from Mark Carcasole and Will Campbell
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