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Father continues search for missing 30-year-old son
An Austin father continues searching for his missing son Alexander Bangert after his clothes were found scattered in the parking lot and around his apartment complex.
AUSTIN, Texas - A father is asking for the public’s help finding his missing son, who disappeared in Austin three weeks ago.
Thirty-year-old Alexander Bangert has been missing since Aug. 9.
Missing Austin man Alexander Banger
What they're saying:
"I’m at a loss. I’m just missing my son. I believe in my heart, he’s out there somewhere, still alive," said Eugene Bangert, Alexander’s father. "He was a good guy, he was courteous. I don’t think he had a mean bone in his body."
Abandoned truck and personal belongings found
Alexander had been living in Austin for more than a year at the Promesa Apartments near Vandergrift High School. Eugene Bangert told FOX 7 that Alexander’s work truck was found Aug. 9 at the Bridge at Ribelin Ranch, an apartment complex in northwest Austin about a half-mile from where Alexander lived.
The vehicle was towed, and Alexander’s phone, laptop, wallet and keys were found inside.
"To my knowledge, he didn’t know anybody in this apartment complex. Just for him to park up the road, why wouldn’t he just come to his own apartment complex? Was he scared? Was something happening that he didn’t want to come back home?" said Eugene.
The following Tuesday, Alexander’s boss contacted Eugene Bangert to ask whether he had seen his son. The question worried the father, who said he and Alexander had stayed in regular contact.
"I tried to get in touch with him but couldn’t get through to him on his phone. I thought maybe he was sick. We called some hospitals. As a matter of fact, we even called the jails to see if for some reason he got arrested or something. No luck at any of the jail or hospitals. And I just started getting more worried, you know, and started getting the detectives involved," said the father.
Search intensifies
Local perspective:
Austin police detectives searched the area around the Bridge at Ribelin Ranch and found Alexander’s company hoodie on the other side of an apartment fence. Police believe Alexander went into a nearby greenbelt near the 9900 block of McNeil Drive, where a search was conducted.
"Texas EquuSearch Search and Recovery got involved. They’ve been working with the detectives and just going out here and searching the woods around the apartment complex, with canines and drones," Eugene said.
But nothing has been found. Eugene is now taking the search into his own hands, traveling to Austin from San Antonio every weekend to hand out flyers and spread the word.
"I just can’t figure out what happened to him. If he was taken, if he just ran off, if somebody did something to him, I just don’t know. It’s a mystery. I just hope somebody somewhere sees his face."
What's next:
As the search stretches into its third week, Eugene said his hope has not faded.
"It’s just heart-wrenching, it’s empty, you know. You go to sleep at night and wonder where your kid is at. All I can do is keep praying and asking for people’s help," he said.
Detectives told the father that foul play is not suspected in Alexander’s disappearance. He also said detectives told him obtaining his son’s phone records would require a judge’s permission and was "not likely."
What you can do:
Alexander Bangert is described as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and 168 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts or disappearance is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-5000 or Texas EquuSearch at 281-309-9500. More searches are expected to be carried out in a week.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 7's Marco Bitonel and Austin police.