Victoria police have released vision of a 42-year-old Ballarat woman who has not been seen for several weeks.
Police on Monday released CCTV footage of Renee King in a bid to elicit information about the missing woman.
Speaking outside the Ballarat police station on Monday, her daughter, Bianca, said she was worried about the disappearance.
“She has never been gone for this long and usually we know where she’s going. It’s quite concerning she has been gone for the amount of time she has,” she told reporters.
Sen Const Jack Hughes said King had been living in accommodation run by community support organisation Uniting Care in Warrenheip after being homeless for “some time”.
King left the accommodation unannounced and she was reported missing to police due to concerns for her welfare, Hughes said.
He said she was seen by several members of the public on 2 June in the Ballarat suburbs of Lucas and Wendouree, where she was given food and water.
“She has mentioned she did not want these people to call police,” Hughes said.
He said she then stayed with a male for “some time” in Wendouree, where she was last seen on 16 June. He said she then left this property unannounced before the man reported her missing to police.
“Our main concern is that she has returned to living on the streets … I do not believe it’s out of her normal character,” he said.
“Police hold concerns for her welfare, obviously due to the cold weather here in Ballarat, and the fact we have not seen her now for three weeks.”
In a statement earlier on Monday, police said investigators did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances related to her disappearance.
“But Renee may be confused and is possibly deliberately trying to avoid people,” police said.
In the CCTV footage from 30 May, she is seen leaving her address in Warrenheip, a suburb in Ballarat, with her black cat, Shadow, in a carrier at about 1.15pm.
Police said the cat was later left outside a house, while King visited an address on Buchanan Drive in Lucas at about 6am on 2 June.
Hughes on Monday said he believed King had left her cat at an address on Sturt Street and a person had called police after they saw a Facebook post about her disappearance.
The footage from 2 June shows King ringing the doorbell and later putting on a jumper before leaving. Police said she briefly spoke to a resident inside, and asked for clothing and water.
Hughes confirmed King did not know the residents of the property in Lucas.
“They have spoken to her through the doorbell camera,” he said.
Police said King’s bank accounts had not been accessed in more than a month, which added to concerns.
“Police and family have concerns for her welfare as she has a medical condition and has been missing for such a long time,” police said in a statement.
Hughes said he believed King had an autoimmune disorder.
Police described King as Caucasian, of a slim build, about 170cm tall with blond hair. She was last seen wearing a grey hooded jumper.
• This story was amended on 8 July 2024. Victoria police clarified that Renee King was last seen on 16 June, and not more than a month ago.
