Recovered/Located IL - Shalyha Ahmad, 18, University of Illinois - Chicago campus, 14 Dec 2018

[GuyfromCanada]

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The family of an 18-year-old missing UIC student asked Wednesday for the public's help in finding her.

Shalyha Ahmad, a freshman studying liberal arts, was last seen by a friend at about 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. Dec. 14 at the University of Illinois-Chicago campus, her family said during a press conference.

Her family, who lives in Chicago, had dropped her off at CTA Jefferson Blue Line station earlier in the day and had planned to pick her up at the UIC Student Center East at 6:30 p.m. that evening. She never showed up.

More & video at link Family of missing UIC student Shalyha Ahmad pleads for public's help

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Her mother said one friend reported that she saw Ahmad on campus the day the young liberal arts major went missing, so the family believes she made it to school before she disappeared.

“This is unusual. This is the first time. She has not done this before,” Shetti Fatima Ahmad said.

Family members have been unable to reach Ahmad via phone or social media. They said they checked her belongings but nothing seemed missing.

Family Searches for Student Who Disappeared Before Christmas

 

[GuyfromCanada]

“We were supposed to meet at 6:30 p.m. because we told her we were going to pick her up from school,” her mother Shetti Fatima Ahmad said to reporters.

They were supposed go out that night and celebrate her brother’s 11th birthday, according to the awareness network.

“She did not arrive at our meeting place and that’s when we got worried,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad’s mother said she contacted UIC police and Chicago police, but Chicago police said Wednesday afternoon that no police reports were made under her name.

Family of missing UIC student ask for help locating her

That's odd. How come there's no police report?

 

[GuyfromCanada]

18-year-old college student in Chicago reported missing

 

[GuyfromCanada]

Looks like December 14 was the last day of school (Dec 10-14 was exam week according to the UIC schedule). Where could Shalyha be, I wonder? Also, why did it take 12 days for this case to hit the media?

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

“We were supposed to meet at 6:30 p.m. because we told her we were going to pick her up from school,” her mother Shetti Fatima Ahmad said to reporters.

They were supposed go out that night and celebrate her brother’s 11th birthday, according to the awareness network.

“She did not arrive at our meeting place and that’s when we got worried,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad’s mother said she contacted UIC police and Chicago police, but Chicago police said Wednesday afternoon that no police reports were made under her name.

Family of missing UIC student ask for help locating her

That's odd. How come there's no police report?

- The family was checking with the CPD to see if she'd been arrested and quite possibly was in holding, or else in jail (if she committed a felony). But apparently she was not picked up by the police. there is nothing at all unusual about someone who goes missing not being arrested.

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

Family of missing UIC student ask for help locating her

 

[SpanishMossAntiques]

Looks like December 14 was the last day of school (Dec 10-14 was exam week according to the UIC schedule). Where could Shalyha be, I wonder? Also, why did it take 12 days for this case to hit the media?

Where could she be? Chicago is a MASSIVE city - the area around UIC has some very nice parts (like Taylor Street - a very Italian section, and Greek Town), but is also very, very close to a few incredibly high-crime areas. Even UIC itself is just huge - you get tired just walking from one end to the other (not to mention that the buildings are big - if you watch the series 'Shameless' the college scenes are filmed there; but in general the show is a pretty accurate representation of people who live on the South Side, like I do). It's also right on the 'El' Blue Line, numerous CTA busses, not far from several trains, etc. Who knows why it did not show up in the papers - usually here this kind of news will blow up the front page of the Trib and the Sun Times as soon as it's reported, so maybe the parents wanted to wait, thinking their daughter would just return home after a day or two.

 

[coffeeandacig]

- The family was checking with the CPD to see if she'd been arrested and quite possibly was in holding, or else in jail (if she committed a felony). But apparently she was not picked up by the police. there is nothing at all unusual about someone who goes missing not being arrested.

I think it is odd that the family would only contact CPD and ask if she was picked up by them. A mother's intuition and worry would definitely cause a missing persons report to be filed immediately.

 

[kmartin96]

I think it is odd that the family would only contact CPD and ask if she was picked up by them. A mother's intuition and worry would definitely cause a missing persons report to be filed immediately.

Her parents were just on the 10pm local news asking for any information. They've understandably had many sleepless nights - doesn't seem like there has been ANY progress made on this case. Agree with other local poster that there hasn't been much coverage on Shalyha at all.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Family of missing student Shalyha Ahmad asks CTA, UIC to release surveillance video

The family is asking the university and the CTA to release surveillance video that may help them find the missing teen.

Shalyha Ahmad's cellphone is not working and she has not tried to reach her family using Facebook Messenger as she has in the past, her mother said. Her mom said she received an anonymous tip that her daughter may be with friends from the Filipino community at UIC.

 

[Mauig’ma]

Prayers going out to Shalyha and her family. I pray she’s safe. Hoping for good news today. I can’t imagine their worry and frustration. Heartbreaking

 

[meanmaryjean]

Family of missing student Shalyha Ahmad asks CTA, UIC to release surveillance video

The family is asking the university and the CTA to release surveillance video that may help them find the missing teen.

Shalyha Ahmad's cellphone is not working and she has not tried to reach her family using Facebook Messenger as she has in the past, her mother said. Her mom said she received an anonymous tip that her daughter may be with friends from the Filipino community at UIC.

This leads me to believe that there is much more to the story and that it could very well be voluntary. Perhaps THAT is why there has not been much in the press?

This WGN story indicates that she WAS seen at the UIC Student Center- so her parents' last sighting is not the last sighting. Family of missing UIC student pleads for public’s help in finding her

 

[JerseyGirl]

UIC student Shalyha Ahmad reported missing 2 weeks ago: 'It’s killing us. There’s a lot of sleepless nights'

The family moved from the Philippines to Chicago in 2006, when Shalyha was 6. Her mother said that her daughter worked hard in school and attended Lane Tech High School on the Northwest Side, graduating earlier this year. She started her first semester at UIC in the fall and remained living in the family home in Portage Park.

Shalyha Ahmad has an undeclared major at the university, under liberal arts. Ahmad was not much into sports or organized groups in high school, instead preferring to express herself through drawing and art. She also loves “K-pop” or Korean pop music. Her favorite band is the Korean pop group BTS, her mother said.

 

[cybervampira]

UIC student reported missing comes forward

A University of Illinois-Chicago student who was previously reported missing surfaced on Thursday and told police she was never missing, police said.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Watched a bit of video with the mother and father in tears and next to them (partially off camera) is who I assume is the brother making faces and cutting up for the cameras.