A New York woman went missing after she reportedly jumped out of a moving car, sparking a major, days-long search — as her loved ones warn she is “vulnerable” and likely “disoriented and frightened.”
Brittany Kritis-Garip, 32, was last seen jumping out of a moving car, throwing her phone into a bush and fleeing Friday night in Oyster Bay, an area on the North Shore of Long Island, her husband, Fernando Garip, told News 12 Long Island.
"We've been combing wooded areas, rural areas, suburban areas, everything. So we're just asking for the public's help here. We really need the public's help to locate her," Garip said on Sunday. "We're going to be at this until she's home. I don't care what we have to do, what needs to be done."
She had “unexpectedly” jumped out of an unidentified family member’s car, her brother, Niko Kritis, told Patch. He described his sister as being “vulnerable” and likely “disoriented and frightened.”
“She hopped out unexpectedly after pulling forward after a stop sign,” her brother said. “We are still actively pulling together videos of the path she ran.”
Kritis-Garip’s wallet was found, and the last known footage of her was taken Friday at 8:14 p.m., her sister-in-law Jess Kritis said.
Her sister-in-law noted that Kritis-Garip “thinks she’s being tracked and in danger, [the] reason she ditched her phone.”
The missing woman’s relatives are urging Oyster Bay residents to check their security footage as well as their yards, garages or any other enclosed spaces where someone could take shelter.
“Those small, careful actions could be what brings Brittany home,” her brother said. “We believe Brittany may be trying to isolate or avoid contact, and it’s possible she could be shelter in secluded or hidden areas.”
Her family has been working with authorities to piece together where she may have fled to. Her brother said that there was “no single confirmed area at this time.”
Nassau County police have sent their helicopter and drones searching over the area several times since Friday to try and locate Kritis-Garip.
Kritis-Garip is described as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black pants and a black jacket with a fur collar.
“Brittany is one of the kindest, move loving, and considerate people you could ever meet,” her brother said. “She lights up the lives of everyone around her, and we are deeply worried. We just want her home safe.”
Sarah Castor, a friend of Kritis-Garip, started a GoFundMe with the goal of hiring a private investigator to help in their search efforts. The fundraiser had received over $15,000 in donations as of Thursday morning.
Castor wrote that her friend might be “disoriented and frightened and may think she is in danger,” adding, “She is not dangerous — she needs help.”
“Brittany is deeply loved. We are doing everything we can to find her — and we are so grateful for your support,” Castor added.
Authorities ask anyone with information about Kritis-Garip’s whereabouts to call the Nassau County Police Department Missing Person Squad at 516-573-7347.
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