LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly nine months after a Cape Coral mother disappeared, Cape Coral police released surveillance video showing her applying for a job at a local gas station the day before she went missing.
NEW VIDEO:
TIMELINE OF DISAPPEARANCE:
June 18, 2020
Surveillance video recorded Thursday morning shows Lauren Dumolo applying for a job as a gas station clerk at the Speedway less than a half of a mile away from her Coronado Parkway apartment.
The video shows her smiling and laughing with the clerk on duty. This specific surveillance footage is the last known video of Lauren before her disappearance.
June 19, 2020
Less than 24 hours later, around 6.am. on Friday morning, Lauren’s boyfriend, Gabriel, said he saw Lauren before he went to work. Gabriel said he told her goodbye and let her sleep in.
Phone records show Lauren, or someone using Lauren’s phone, made a Facebook Video Call to Gabriel’s phone between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., however, Gabriel did not answer.
There are reports a maintenance worker at her apartment complex chatted with her at some point Friday morning. The worker claimed she asked him if he knew about any cheap apartments in the area. Her family found this report strange, as Lauren had just paid her rent in full. Cape Coral police said she was last seen wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
When Gabriel returned home from work Friday evening, Lauren was not there. Due to his concern for Lauren’s wellbeing, he called Lauren’s father, Paul, and told him he didn’t know where Lauren was. Paul told him to file a missing persons report.
In a release from Cape Coral police 10 days after her disappearance, officers said someone found her black purse at Four Freedoms Park also on June 19, 2020. The purse that was found is the same purse Lauren had when she was applying for jobs the day before.
Lauren often visited the park, a six-minute walk from her apartment. She went to meditate and unwind by the water. Lauren walked everywhere she needed to go. She didn’t have a license or a car.
June 21, 2020
Gabriel filed a missing persons report with the Cape Coral Police Department at 6:23 p.m. In the report, he said that Lauren was not answering her phone, but had left for days before and didn’t contact anyway.
Her boyfriend also said she did not make any statements of wanting to harm herself or anyone else and wasn’t on any medications. Gabriel did admit he was filing the missing persons report because Lauren’s father asked her to.
Her phone was later found in her apartment.
June 23, 2020
Lauren’s friends and family began posting on social media, pleading for help to find her.
NBC2 started receiving multiple phone calls and messages about Lauren’s disappearance. When we reached out to the police department for confirmation about the case, we were told, “Ms. Dumolo is not currently reported missing.”
**It is important to note, due to a clerical error in filing Lauren’s missing persons report, major crimes investigators were not aware of her case immediately. Once the error was corrected, which was on June 24, police sent the alert to media partners.
June 24, 2020
Cape Coral police released the following Missing Endangered Person alert at 1:25 p.m. —
Lauren Brittney Dumolo, W/F, DOB: 7-14-90, 5’0” 110lbs with light brown hair and brown eyes. Dumolo was last seen on June 19, 2020 at the 4900 block of Coronado Parkway wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cape Coral Police Department at (239) 574-3223.
June 29, 2020
The Cape Coral Police Department released the following press release about Lauren’s disappearance:
The Cape Coral Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau is asking for the public’s help and for ANY information that might help locate a missing woman.
Lauren Brittney Dumolo (DOB: 7-14-1990) was last seen on June 19th, 2020 at 4927 Coronado Parkway Apartment #1, and she was reported missing on June 21st. Her purse had been located by a citizen at Four Freedoms Park (4818 Tarpon Court) on June 19th, a place she was known to visit often. Her cell phone was also located in her apartment. Lauren’s status as a missing person was changed to a missing person endangered on June 24th as a result of the investigation.
Lauren is a frequent walker in the area and does not own a car. She is 29 years old and is 5’0’‘ and 110 pounds, with light brown hair (dyed blonde with brown roots) and brown eyes. When she was last seen on June 19th, she was wearing a T-shirt and shorts. She has several tattoos: “Namaste” on her right side, a symbol on her wrist, a “NY” symbol on her pelvis, and rosary beads on her ankle. Please take a moment to view the photos of Lauren below.
July 2, 2020
While searching Four Freedoms Park, again, Lauren’s family found her shirt in the sand by the waterline.
Investigators were called to the park to collect the shirt and inspect the area for any evidence.
Detectives confirmed they tried to pull footage from the park to see when and how the shirt got there. That follow-up information has never been released.
July 7, 2020
More than two dozen people gathered at Four Freedoms Park to search for Lauren around the park and her Coronado Parkway apartment.
Flyers were made and handed out to community members with her information and photo on them.
July 8, 2020
The reward for information about Lauren’s disappearance was increased by $5,000. Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers posted the following statement:
The reward for information leading to the safe return of Lauren Dumolo has been increased by $5,000 this afternoon. Lauren has been missing from her Cape Coral home since June 19th. Since that time, friends, family and law enforcement have not heard from Lauren. A massive effort is underway to bring Lauren home safely, and to fill in the timeline with any information from people who may have seen her since June 19th. Even the smallest piece of information could be helpful in finding Lauren. Today’s reward increase is from a Marco Island businessman, and will be added to reward money from Crime Stoppers of up to $3,000. Anyone with any information on Lauren’s whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers 24/7 at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or on the P3Tips mobile app. Let’s all do our part to bring Lauren back home to her friends and family safe and sound.
August 4, 2020
Lauren’s case gained national attention for the first time. It was featured in Dateline’s “Missing in America” segment.
August 7, 2020
Cape Coral police tweet Lauren’s original missing persons press release, asking for help finding her.
September 3, 2020
The community gathered near Lauren’s apartment to hand out yard signs to bring awareness to her disappearance. Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers helped organize the event, giving 125 signs to community members.
October 3, 2020
Lauren’s family and friends organized “We Ride for Lauren,” an event to raise awareness about her case and money to help fund searches.
November 6, 2020
Lauren’s family hired a private investigator about six months after she went missing. Paul, Lauren’s father, said he wanted more eyes on the case and more answers.
“I understand that there are things the police can’t tell you,” Paul said. “I get that. But there are certain things that, you know I would like answers to, that I can’t get. And I’m not sure why.”
December 5, 2020
Cape Coral police and the Cape Coral community gathered at Four Freedoms Park for a prayer and walk.
Dozens of people walked a mile around the neighborhood, tying ribbons to trees.
December 19, 2020
Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers released the following letter on the six-month anniversary of Lauren’s disappearance:
Today is a difficult day. Today marks six months since the last time Lauren Dumolo was seen. It was Father’s Day weekend and Lauren never, ever missed talking to her Dad. But this year, there was no phone call. It’s been six months now, and still, our entire community is desperately searching for Lauren.Over the last six months, our community has come together with strength in an effort to bring Lauren home. We’ve seen volunteers walk around neighborhoods in the pouring rain posting signs asking for information. There was a motorcycle run and fund raising event at Big 10 that brought out so many people who just wanted to do their part to help in the search for Lauren. Earlier this month, there was a one-mile walk near Four Freedoms Park, where residents tied ribbons around trees and posts in Lauren’s neighborhood as a sign of solidarity that we, as a community, are as committed as ever to help bring Lauren home. While some of the participants in these events were Lauren’s family and friends, most of us never knew Lauren. But she quickly became the thread that bonded us all together in the mission to find this beautiful soul. Six months later, and she’s still gone. It’s a fact that is so hard to believe. We know that detectives are doing all they can and Crime Stoppers is here to support CCPD and the community in any way that we can. But today, we ask the community to pause for a moment and look at Lauren’s photo. If you live in the Cape, did you ever see her, especially around the downtown area near Four Freedoms Park? If you frequented North Fort Myers, where she worked, do you remember the last time you saw Lauren? We are looking for any small tidbit of information that can help detectives track where Lauren may have been before she went missing. Even if you think the information you have is too small, or insignificant, please share it. It could be the tip that makes all the difference.To Lauren’s family, please know that Crime Stoppers and our huge-hearted community stands with you. We don’t want another day, week or month to pass without finding Lauren. Please, if you have any information that can help police, come forward. It’s the right thing to do.
February 3, 2021
Lauren’s best friends organized a candle light vigil in an effort to pray and remember the missing mother.
For National Missing Persons Day, the group spent the night waving banners, lighting candles, and sharing stories about Lauren.
Since February, Lauren’s case has been featured on multiple national news programs. Segments on Dr. Oz and In Pursuit: The Missing have gained thousands of views and millions of eyes on this case.
As we approach nine months since Lauren vanished, her family continues to hold out hope they will one day learn what happened to her. While they wish she would return back home healthy and safe, they don’t believe she is alive.
If you know anything about Lauren’s disappearance, contact the Cape Coral Police Department.
The post JUST RELEASED: Video shows Lauren Dumolo day before disappearance appeared first on NBC2 News.
