NEW surveillance footage of the Australian tourist who has gone missing in Las Vegas has been released with cops stressing she could be in “severe emotional distress.”
Investigators in Sin City are desperately looking for answers with Sally Grace Contarino, 26, now missing for over a week after failing to board a flight home on June 21.
Las Vegas cops have released a new pic of missing Australian tourist Sally Grace ContarinoCredit: LVMPD
The 26-year-old Australian missed her flight home and hasn’t been seen sinceCredit: LVMPD
She was traveling alone through the southwestern United States and was due to return to Australia after visiting destinations across Nevada and California.
The U.S. Sun understands Contarino’s two sisters have now flown into Las Vegas to assist the desperate search mission.
“They are exhausted, which is completely understandable,” a source said. “Both are now working alongside authorities.”
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, she last contacted her family in Melbourne, Australia on June 20 — one day before her scheduled departure — and has not been heard from since.
Police have now released additional surveillance images showing Contarino in Las Vegas in the hours before she vanished.
The newly images include footage of her walking with a shoulder bag and another showing her using an ATM, as detectives work to piece together her movements before contact was lost.
Authorities have classified Contarino as an endangered missing adult, saying she may be experiencing severe emotional distress and could require medical attention.
“Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance to locate Sally Grace Contarino, who is missing and endangered,” the department said in a statement sent to The U.S. Sun.
Investigators believe Contarino had been staying at the Bungalows Hostel on South Las Vegas Boulevard during her solo trip.
She had spent several days in Las Vegas while exploring the region, with recent photographs showing her visiting locations in both Nevada and California.
Surveillance footage shows Contarino leaving Timbers Bar & Grill at about 10.30pm on June 19.
She was seen wearing dark shorts, a matching tank top and black-and-white Converse sneakers as she walked back toward the hostel.
Police said additional footage captured her returning to the hostel during the early hours of June 20.
Authorities said Contarino later checked out of the hostel remotely, despite not leaving the property in person.
Detectives have not publicly explained what happened after that and continue to review surveillance video from businesses and other locations across Las Vegas in an effort to reconstruct her movements.
Investigators also said Contarino had purchased a Greyhound bus ticket that would have taken her from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, where she was scheduled to board her flight back to Melbourne.
Las Vegas PD say the missing woman could be in severe mental distress and need medical attentionCredit: Metropolitan Police
Contarino also bought a bus ticket which was never usedCredit: Metropolitan Police
But police said the ticket was never scanned, indicating she likely did not board the bus.
The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unclear.
Police have said they believe she may have traveled toward the Mount Charleston area, about 30 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
The mountain destination, popular with hikers and visitors seeking cooler temperatures outside the city, has become an area of interest in the investigation, although authorities have not said why they believe she may have gone there.
Contarino’s disappearance has alarmed family members in Australia, who reported her missing after she failed to make contact and did not board her scheduled flight home.
Employees at Timbers Bar & Grill, where she was last publicly seen, said nothing appeared unusual about her demeanor.
Restaurant manager Jocelyn Zeigler-Arthur said Contarino was “quiet” and appeared “happy” while dining there.
Zeigler-Arthur also described the neighborhood surrounding the hostel as “terrible,” adding that it was not somewhere she would recommend for a woman traveling alone.
The manager of the hostel where the woman was staying refused to comment on the situation when contacted by The U.S. Sun.
Friends and relatives have described Contarino as an experienced international traveler who had visited the United States several times before.
During her latest trip, she documented visits to Las Vegas, Southern California and Mount Charleston, where authorities said she was known to enjoy hiking.
Police described Contarino as having a slim build, fair skin, brown hair and brown eyes.
She was last seen wearing a gray or blue sweatshirt, denim shorts and black-and-white shoes while carrying a shoulder bag.
Detectives continue to review surveillance footage and follow up on leads as the search enters its second week.
Local hospitals have also been asked to review admission records in case Contarino sought medical treatment or was admitted without identification after she disappeared.
Anyone with information about Contarino’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
