UPDATE
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Austin Police Department confirm the 22-year-olds body as Tanner Hoang Tuesday morning.
APD states no foul play was suspected, and the case remains active at this time.
Texas DPS confirms the car of missing A&M student Tanner Hoang has been found in an Austin parking lot.
There's still no sign of him.
ORIGINAL STORY
A Texas A&M student went missing on Friday just before meeting with his family for a lunch leading up to graduation.
Authorities and family members of Tanner Hoang, 22, are now asking for help from the community.
“On Friday, I think we were given the news that after graduation, he couldn’t be located in the afternoon,” said Bao Hoang, Tanner’s uncle.
Once Tanner did not show up to meet his family, the Hoang family contacted the College Station police, and with Tanner’s phone off, it has been challenging to pinpoint his location.
“He was supposed to graduate but I’m not sure what happened that would cause him to leave,” Bao said. “I think the last thing we know definitively is that he was on [Highway] 21 picking up gas to go in a westerly direction away from Bryan/College Station.”
Shortly after he disappeared, friends and family created a Facebook page dedicated to finding him. After 48 hours, it has 7,000 members and counting.
One of the group’s administrator posted a video showing Tanner’s vehicle headed into a Shell gas station right before Highway 21.
“Of course, the family is trying to help with locating Tanner as well,” says Bao. “We really want him to come back and be with us and we love him obviously and think highly of him. We’re doing all we can in the investigation.”
Haong said it took two days for the Texas Department of Public Safety to become involved, but the agency is leading the search for the missing student from Flower Mound.
KRHD News reached out to the Texas DPS, and they tell us they are doing everything they can to help locate Tanner’s vehicle and find what location he may be headed in.
Bao said the family is still in shock.
“He is always available, always showing up to help,” he said. “Anytime that I’ve been back to Texas or anytime his grandparents would need help, he would show up there. Anytime his parents would need help, family gatherings, always show up. Very uncharacteristic and that’s why we’re in disbelief that he would leave without notifying us."
Bao continues to hold onto his faith that Tanner is still out there, and here’s what he would like to tell him.
“Tanner, we love you. God loves you,” Bao said. “Come home as soon as you get this message or the messages that have been on Facebook for you. We hope that he’s okay. We hope that everything will come to a conclusion that will be a reunion with the family.”
If you see Tanner or hear of any information regarding his whereabouts, you are asked to contact the College Station police department.
Tanner is driving a 2009 Silver Lexus sedan, with Texas License Plate: BS2 C737.