They Call Us Bruce 186: They Call Us Missing

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. (Almost) each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

In this episode, we welcome filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, writer/director of the hit thriller Searching, and writer/producer of its follow-up feature Missing. He talks about why 2018's Searching is now a period piece, the seemingly simple but actually super-complicated process of telling a story that unfolds entirely on screens, and why he and the team are not in any rush (for now) to make a third movie in the "Searching Cinematic Universe."

FBI finds car linked to kidnapped Chinese student

Visiting scholar Yingying Zhang has been missing from the University of Illinois since June 9.



In Illinois, the FBI announced Tuesday that it had found the car that a visiting Chinese student was last seen getting into before she went missing from the University of Illinois nearly three weeks ago.

26-year-old Yingying Zhang, a visiting student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, was last seen June 9 near the north end of campus in Urbana-Champaign. She had just gotten off a bus and was apparently on her way to an apartment complex to sign a lease.

Security camera footage shows her getting into the passenger seat of a black Saturn Astra. The FBI says the vehicle appeared to be driven by a white male who circled the area before making contact with Zhang. The car is seen pulling up next to Zhang on the sidewalk just after 2:00 pm. She talks for several moments to the unidentified driver before getting into the vehicle. The car then drives away.

She has not been seen or heard from since.

Visiting Chinese scholar missing from University of Illinois

26-year-old Yingying Zhang was last seen on June 9.



At the University of Illinois, authorities are asking for the public's help in the search for a visiting scholar from China who has been missing from the Urbana-Champaign campus since Friday.

University of Illinois scholar from China missing since Friday

26-year-old Yingying Zhang, a visiting student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, was last seen June 9 near the north end of campus. She had just gotten off a bus and was apparently on her way to an apartment complex in Urbana to sign a lease. Zhang's friends called police on Saturday when they couldn't get in touch with her and became concerned about her whereabouts.

University of Illinois Police released security camera footage showing a black Saturn Astra pulling up next to Zhang on the sidewalk just after 2:00 pm. She can be seen talking for several moments to the unidentified driver before getting into the vehicle. The car then drives way. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Missing: 20-year-old Elaine Park, last seen January 28

Park's car was found abandoned in Malibu with keys, phone inside.



In Southern California, authorities are asking for the public's help in searching for a 20-year-old Glendale woman who has been missing for over a week, with her car found abandoned in Malibu.

Missing Glendale woman's car found parked on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu

Elaine Park was last seen in the early morning hours of January 28 after a date with her boyfriend. She had been considered to be voluntarily missing until deputies found her car on February 2, parked along Pacific Coast Highway with the her key, cellphone and other personal belongings inside.

Four arrested in kidnapping for ransom; victim still missing

57-year-old Elvira Babb was last seen June 29 in Vallejo, California.



In Northern California, authorities are investigating the kidnapping for ransom of a 57-year-old woman who remains missing after almost two weeks even though four suspects have been arrested in the case.

4 arrested, victim still missing in Vallejo kidnapping

Elvira Babb was last seen June 29 by a co-worker who dropped her off at a market in Vallejo. Her son, John Babb, received a text message from an unknown number the next day demanding money -- a figure described as less than $100,000 -- and threatening his mother's life if he didn't comply or went to the police.

Babb went to his mother's home after receiving the text and found her pet Chihuahua dead. He contacted the Vallejo Police Department and told officers his mother had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom.

A weeklong investigation, which included the FBI, the Sacramento and Fairfield police departments, Solano County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals Service, led officials to an acquaintance of Elvira Babb, 26-year-old Emmanuel Espinoza, who was arrested in Sacramento on Friday night.

UCLA graduate student missing for 10 days

Alison Wu was last seen by her roommate on April 10.



In Los Angeles, a search is underway for a UCLA student who has been missing for the past ten days. Alison Wu, a graduate student in the Fielding School of Public Health, was last seen by her roommate on April 10.

Information on student sought

Wu is believed to be with a known male friend, identified Scott Helton. While family members say it appears as though she left on her own, they are concerned because they have not heard from her.

A UC San Diego student who identified herself as Wu's friend posted on Facebook that the couple was spotted at a coffee shop on April 13. The sighting was not confirmed by UCLA officials.

Missing father of the bride found dead

55-year-old Prasad Moparti was last seen alive at his daughter's wedding reception near Sacramento.



Tragic news out of California... In Sacramento, authorities have recovered the body of a 55-year-old man who disappeared earlier this month during his daughter's wedding reception while visiting from India.

Father Who Went Missing After Daughter's Grand Island Mansion Wedding Found Dead

The Sacramento County Corner confirmed that the body of Prasad Moparti was found floating in a waterway downstream from the wedding reception where he was last seen alive on February 13.

Missing: 22-year-old Shuqin Zhang, last seen Thursday

UC Berkeley graduate student's belongings were found near Point Reyes Lighthouse.



In the Bay Area, search crews are looking for a missing UC Berkeley graduate student, last seen Thursday, after her car and some of her belongings were found near Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County.

Belongings of missing UC graduate student found on cliff near Point Reyes

22-year-old Shuqin Zhang, who reportedly suffered from depression, was last seen on Thursday at around 1:30 am in Berkeley and was believed to be headed to Bodega Bay two hours later.

According to Berkeley police, park rangers found her car near the lighthouse at Point Reyes on Saturday morning, and searchers later found some of her belongings on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

Missing: 33-year-old Eugene Vibar, last seen November 1

Southeast Portland man has been missing since Halloween.



Have you seen Eugene Vibar? In Oregon, police and loved ones are asking for the public's help searching for 33-year-old Southeast Portland man who has been missing for over two weeks.

Police, friends search for Eugene Vibar, missing SE Portland man

Eugene Vibar was last seen in the early morning hours after Halloween, at 2:30am on November 1, after returning from the HOWL Halloween festival. He left his house in the South East Buckman area to go for a walk. When he didn't return for several days, his roommate filed a missing persons report.

Vibar is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds, with brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black or blue jacket.

Missing: 35-year-old Chris Mayrena

Daly City resident was last seen early Sunday, September 27



In the Bay Area, family and friends are asking for help looking for 35-year old Daly City resident Christian Mayrena, who was last seen early in the morning on Sunday, September 27. Mayrena stands 5-foot-3 and weight 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Have you seen him?

Missing woman found safe after staging her disappearance

Moua Vang made it look like she had been abducted so she could leave her family.



In Washington state, a flower vendor who had been missing since Tuesday has been found safe after admitting to staging her own disappearance to look like an abduction so she could leave her family.

Police: Missing Lakewood woman found safe, admitted to staging her disappearance

Moua Vang went missing from the Lakewood Farmer's Market on Tuesday night. Her van and belongings were found in disarray, and police said the scene looked like she possibly went missing under suspicious circumstances. But it turns out that Vang staged it all to look like she had been kidnapped.

Vang apparently traveled out of town, but changed her mind about leaving and decided to come home. While boarding the flight back to Seattle, she was flagged by homeland security, which notified police in Lakewood. She was met at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport by detectives working the case.

Police suspect foul play in flower vendor's disappearance

31-year-old Moua Vang was last seen at the Lakewood Farmer's Market.



In Washington state, authorities and loved ones are asking for the public's help finding a flower vendor who has been missing since Tuesday. Police say that her disappearance is suspicious, and suspect foul play.

Police suspect 'foul play' in flower vendor's disappearance

31-year-old Moua Vang was last seen Tuesday afternoon selling flowers at the Lakewood Farmer's Market. Her family last heard from her at about 4:30pm, and police found her abandoned van in the area a few hours later.

The van's doors were left open and her belongings, including her keys and cell phone, were still inside the vehicle. Police say it looks like something might have gone wrong suddenly, perhaps as Vang was packing up her flower stand. She may have been abducted.

Mother suspected of kidnapping sons, last seen at LAX

41-year-old Faye Ku is accused of faking documents for a court-ordered visit.



Authorities are asking for the public's help in searching for two missing children who were believed to be abducted by their mother and were last seen arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from Washington.

Missing Boys Believed To Be Abducted By Mother

41-year-old Faye Ku is accused of kidnapping her sons when they arrived at the airport last Friday. The boys, 14-year-old Sage Cook and 9-year-old Isaac Cook, had flown from Washington where they live with their father who has had full custody of them since the couple divorced in 2009.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Ku had submitted an apparent court order to grant her a supervised visit with her sons, which prompted the visit. But it turns out the documents were fake. Investigators are treating the case as a suspected parental abduction.

Missing: 60-year-old David Ku, last seen Friday

Mr. Ku, last seen at his home in Norwalk, CA, suffers from Alzheimer's.



In Southern California, police and loved ones are asking for the public's help in locating a 60-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer's who has been missing since Friday evening.

David Ku left his house in Norwalk on the evening of Friday, August 21 and has not been seen since.

He is Korean, 60 years old, 5'7" and about 170 pounds. He was last ween wearing a polo shirt and khakis. According to his family, Mr. Ku has Alzheimer's and may not respond to his name.

If you see him, or have any information about his whereabouts, please contact Norwalk police at 562-863-8711.

UPDATE: Mr. Ku has been found.

Missing: 7-year-old Eric Li

Last seen Tuesday morning in Brooklyn



In Brooklyn, police are asking for the public's help finding a boy who went missing Tuesday.

Police Look for Missing Brooklyn Boy Last Seen Tuesday

7-year-old Eric Li was last seen at around 9:00am Tuesday at 51st Street and Seventh Avenue in Sunset Park.

Eric is 4 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 60 pounds.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit nypdcrimestoppers.com.

Missing: Brooklyn mom and 3-year-old son, last seen Saturday

NYPD is asking for help locating 27-year-old Zhao Hui Zheng and her son Aldrin He.



Have you seen this woman and her kid? In New York City, police are asking for the public's assistance in searching for a mother and her young son who have been missing for several days.

Mother and 3-year-old son missing for several days in Brooklyn

27-year-old Zhao Hui Zheng and her 3-year-old son Aldrin He were last seen at around 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 4, at 1013 72nd Street, in the Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit tips by logging onto Crime Stoppers' website or by texting your tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.

More here: Brooklyn: Mom And Young Child Go Missing - NYPD Asking For Assistance


FACEBOOK

Teen goes missing after taking SAT

16-year-old Mira Hu may have run away after being "overwhelmed" by school and the exam.



In Southern California, authorities are searching for a high school student who was reported missing after taking the SAT. It appears that she may have run away after being "overhelmed" by school and the exam.

San Marino High School student runs away after SAT exam, police say

16-year-old Mira Hu was dropped off at Arcadia High School on Saturday morning to take the college entrance exam, but wasn't there when her parents came to pick her up. A short time later, she reportedly sent a message to her brother indicating that she was running away.

According to Mira's family:

Missing comic book artist Norman Lee presumed dead

Search called off for DC and Marvel inker, who went missing while snorkeling in Grand Cayman.



Tragic news... The search for Marvel and DC comic book artist Norman Lee, who went missing last week during a snorkeling trip in the Cayman Islands, has been called off. Lee is presumed dead.

Search called off for missing comic book artist Norman Lee

Lee was snorkeling with his wife of the eastern coast of Grand Cayman on Thursday when they were separated and he went missing approximately 250 yards off shore. The search, which was hindered by strong currents, was called off on Friday evening. It is now being considered a recovery mission.

MISSING: 82-year-old Sa K. Lee, last seen Saturday night

Mr. Lee, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, disappeared from his Laguna Woods home.


In Southern California, police and loved ones are asking for the public's help in locating an 82-year-old Korean American man with Alzheimer's disease who was reported missing Saturday night.

Laguna Woods Family Pleads for Help Finding Missing Man With Alzheimer's

Sa K. Lee was last seen at the home he shares with his wife and son in the gated retirement community of Leisure World in Laguna Woods at about 10:00pm on Saturday. While his wife was taking a shower, Mr. Lee deactivated the door alarm and walked out the house, and hasn't been seen since.

According to police, Mr. Lee has medical and memory problems and has wandered away in the past.

MISSING: 49-year-old Carol Ota, last seen November 7

Ota suffers from bipolar disorder and is in need of her medication.



In Los Angeles, police and loved ones are asking for the public's help in the search for a woman who has been missing since last week. Carol Ota was last seen in the Westchester area on the morning of November 7.

49-Year-Old Missing Female

According to the Los Angeles Police Department Missing Person's Unit, Ota was last seen in the 12000 block of Juniette Street around 7:00am last Friday. She suffers from bipolar disorder and is in need of her medication.