FL Boyfriend Named Person Of Interest As North Port Police, FBI Look For Missing NY Woman

NORTH PORT, FL — As the search continues for 22-year-old Gabrielle Petito, who had been traveling cross-country with her boyfriend by van this summer, the North Port Police Department has taken over as the lead agency investigating her disappearance.

The case originated in New York on Saturday, when her family on Long Island filed a missing person report with the Suffolk County Police Department. North Port police continue to work with SCPD and the FBI on the investigation.

Petito, a native of Blue Point, New York, has been living in North Port with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, and his family, North Port city public information officer Josh Taylor said during a news conference Wednesday.

After leaving for their road trip in early July, she and Laundrie visited various national parks in Petito’s 2012 Ford Transit van, which had been converted into a camper.

Related Story: Missing Woman’s Boyfriend, Family To Stay In ‘Background’: Lawyer

They documented their travels on social media, and Petito kept in contact with her family, who haven’t heard from her since Aug. 25. Her last Instagram post was shared Aug. 25, and her last YouTube video was posted Aug. 19.

Prior to her final communication with family during the last week of August, Petito is believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, police said.

Laundrie, who refuses to cooperate with the investigation into her disappearance, is now officially considered a person of interest, Taylor said. “I think most people would come to that conclusion in this case.”

Laundrie refused to speak with investigators who went to his family's home in North Port Saturday night, authorities said. Instead, detectives were handed information for the family's attorney, the PIO said. “That is the extent of our conversation with him.”

In a statement released Tuesday, the attorney, Steven Bertolino of East Islip, New York, said Laundrie “will remain in the background” during the investigation.

"On the advice of counsel, the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment,” Bertolino said.

North Port police are “pleading with (Laundrie), at this point, to please speak to us,” Taylor said.

He added, “We don’t know what Brian knows. I mean, that’s the bottom line. We’re hopeful to talk to him. He needs to talk to us. We need to know exactly where he was, where she was, their last locations.”

Laundrie returned to Florida from their cross-country trip alone, driving Petito’s van, 10 days ago, Taylor said. The van was recovered from his family’s home Saturday.

Taylor asks that any leads into her disappearance be submitted by calling 800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).

Her family is also conducting their own search efforts for her, coordinating it through a Facebook page called "Find Gabby."

Petito is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 110 pounds, police said. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads "let it be."