Burnaby RCMP are asking for the public’s help in the missing persons case involving a Japanese student.
Thirty-year-old Natsumi Kogawa was last seen at her home in Burnaby on Sept. 7.
Investigators have now obtained surveillance video that shows Kogawa in the company of an unknown man, who they are calling a “person of interest,” the day after she was reportedly last seen.
They say the video was taken at 1:27 p.m. on Sept. 8 at Seymour and Hastings Street in Vancouver.
Investigators would like to identify and speak with this man because he may hold key evidence or information pertaining to Kogawa’s disappearance.
WATCH: Police looking for person of interest in missing student case
He is described as Caucasian, approximately 30 years old, medium height, with a slim build and light-coloured hair. He was wearing dark clothing, blue jeans, running shoes and a dark baseball cap.
He was holding a black bag with red handles and wearing a dark-coloured duffle style backpack
Sgt. Derek Thibodeau with Burnaby RCMP says it’s not a criminal investigation at this time.
Kogawa had been studying English in Vancouver and her friends became concerned when they couldn’t contact her.
Kogawa’s close friend Jay Vergara reported her missing on Sept. 12. He told Global News her disappearance is completely out of character.
“If there was ever a situation where we are not messaging every day or every other day, I would know about it,” Vergara told Global News earlier this month. “I can’t imagine a scenario in which she would just disappear without me knowing.”
READ MORE: Disappearance of Japanese student ‘completely out of character’: close friend
Vergara says they have been able to track some of Kogawa’s last steps before her disappearance, like the fact that the last message from her cellphone went out to her friend on the morning of Sept. 8. The two were supposed to meet later that night, but the meeting never took place.
Vergara and Kogawa’s other friends have been handing out fliers at the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library, which she was known to frequent, as well as close to her home in Burnaby.
WATCH BELOW: Burnaby RCMP are asking for the public’s help in the search for thirty-year-old Natsumi Kogawa. Sgt. Derek Thibodeau with Burnaby RCMP spoke with the media about the case on Tuesday.
Kogawa’s family in Japan has asked to stay away from the media spotlight. They have not been talking to the Japanese media, but Vergara and Kogawa’s other friends are updating them about the search on a continuous basis.
Kogawa is 5’0” tall, 100 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. It is unknown what clothing Kogawa was wearing when she went missing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Burnaby RCMP Missing Person Unit at 604-294-7922 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Comments