MADRID (AP) — Ana Maria Knezevic traveled from South Florida to Spain in December to get away for some time. Her household and mates say the naturalized American initially from Colombia has been going by means of a nasty divorce from her Serbian husband, however the journey was additionally an opportunity to discover new locations.
Then, she vanished — two weeks in the past, shortly after a person carrying a motorbike helmet disabled the safety cameras at her Madrid residence constructing by spray portray the lenses. The subsequent day, two mates acquired separate textual content messages — one in English, one in Spanish — from the 40-year-old’s cellphone saying she was operating off for a number of days with a person she had simply met.
“She wouldn’t do that … it is rather unsafe and loopy habits. She wouldn’t try this. She wouldn’t try this,” mentioned Sanna Rameau, the buddy who bought the English textual content. It was written, she mentioned, in an impassive model that wasn’t Ana’s. The Spanish message was so flat it appeared to have been written in English and run by means of Google Translate, she mentioned.
“It simply didn’t make sense,” Rameau advised The Related Press.
She’s additionally tiny — smaller than the 4-feet-11-inches tall (1.5 meters) listed on her driver’s license, Rameau mentioned. “I can carry her up with one arm and carry her away,” the buddy mentioned.
Police in Madrid and Fort Lauderdale had been notified, launching investigations on all sides of the Atlantic. Each businesses are being closed mouthed about the place the search stands, with every declining remark. The American embassy in Madrid additionally declined remark.
Spain’s Lacking Individuals Affiliation has posted Knezevic’s {photograph} across the nation’s capital, however has not acquired any responses, spokesman Joaquin Amills mentioned.
David and Ana Knezevic have been married for 13 years and personal EOX Expertise Options Inc., which does pc assist for South Florida companies. Data present in addition they personal a house and two different Fort Lauderdale properties, a type of at the moment underneath foreclosures.
Ana’s brother, Juan Henao, referred to as the divorce “nasty” in an interview with a Fort Lauderdale detective, a report reveals.
“There’s a substantial amount of cash on the road to be break up up between the 2 and David will not be blissful about it,” the report says.
David Knezevic’s present whereabouts are unknown.
Henao advised the detective he believes his brother-in-law traveled to his dwelling nation of Serbia in January. After Ana disappeared, Henao texted David to ask if he knew her whereabouts. He replied “’Whats up?” earlier than telling Henao that Ana was lacking, which he already knew. “Nothing else apart from that,” Henao mentioned.
In a brief cellphone interview, Henao mentioned he hopes the worldwide consideration will make discovering Ana a prime police precedence.
“Let’s simply preserve pushing and see if that can get them to do extra to assist us discover my sister,” he mentioned.
Nobody answered the door Thursday on the Knezevics’ Fort Lauderdale dwelling, the place the mailbox is overflowing and the vehicles are coated in grime and dirt. Nobody answered the cellphone at their firm, and David Knezevic didn’t reply to emails and a voicemail.
Rameau mentioned Ana by no means talked about fearing her husband or that he was abusive.
“She by no means mentioned to me that she felt at risk,” mentioned Rameau.
Ana selected an residence in Madrid’s rich and trendy Salamanca quarter, traveled with Rameau in Austria in January, and deliberate to see a Spanish buddy in Barcelona on Feb. 5 earlier than reuniting with Rameau in Madrid beginning Feb. 8.
However on Feb. 2 at about 9:30 p.m., the helmet-wearing man disabled the residence advanced’s safety cameras — one thing nobody trying to find Ana knew for nearly per week. She had a traditional cellphone name with a buddy a couple of half hour later. Neighbors mentioned they final noticed her about that point.
The subsequent day, Rameau grew to become alarmed when she bought a textual content from Ana’s cellphone.
“I met somebody fantastic!! He has a summer time home 2H (hours) from Madrid,” it learn. “We’re going there now and I’ll spend a number of days there. Sign is spotty. I’ll name you after I get again.”
That was adopted a minute later by a second textual content: “Yesterday after remedy I wanted a stroll and he approached me on the road! Superb connection. Like I by no means had.”
The Spanish buddy bought related texts, those that appeared to have been translated by pc.
Rameau mentioned there is no such thing as a likelihood she would run off with a stranger, and by no means advised her buddy that night time she had met somebody.
Rameau and the Spanish buddy contacted police after she did not reply to their more and more frantic calls and texts. Firefighters went to her residence for a wellness verify, seemed inside and located nothing amiss, Rameau mentioned.
Madrid police mentioned they might examine if she did not present up for her Barcelona journey. When she did not, detectives requested a Spanish choose for permission to look her cellphone data and residence, however absent sturdy proof of against the law, they had been denied.
Rameau and the Spanish buddy then went to her constructing on Feb. 8, and discovered from a clerk in regards to the helmeted man portray the cameras. They alerted police.
Now, Ana’s household and mates look forward to information.
“I’m simply determined to search out solutions,” Rameau mentioned. “I’m simply determined to discover a purpose for who may have carried out this.”
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Spencer reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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