The Worcester Police Department is searching for missing woman Joanna Brown, saying they have a "heightened concern" for her safety after she disappeared on Halloween.

On Monday night, police said they found a car possibly linked to Brown's disappearance at Green Hill Towers apartment complex on Mount Vernon Street in Worcester. Brown may have been in a 2025 gray Mitsubishi Outlander with the license plate 5GPN93, according to police.

For hours, there was a large police presence in the parking lot of the apartment building, and the chief medical examiner was on scene. The car that was parked there was towed away. 

Worcester police said the vehicle found by detectives at 27 Mount Vernon Street was the same make, model, and color as the one used by Brown. "This is an active investigation, and the police department now has custody of the vehicle," police said.  

Brown, who is 30 years old, was last seen around 9 a.m. on Friday at the Bean Counter Bakery, where she works. 

"She left her shift, talking to her supervisor, saying that she had a personal thing that she needed to take care of," said Worcester Police Officer Elise Miranda.

She has not shown up for work or contacted family and friends, which they say is unlike her.

"We have a heightened concern for her safety and would like to get her photos out there for her safe return," the Worcester Police Department said.

Beloved employee

On social media, the Bean Counter Bakery posted that Brown is a "valuable member of our team." According to the business, Brown has been working at the company for eight years and has never failed to show up for a shift until Saturday.

"Employees love her. She leads a team at the front of the house. She is my go to person if I am looking for something, like supplies. She knows everything. She's a wonderful person," said the Bean Counter Bakery owner, Alice Lombardi. 

Lombardi said the bakery is not the same without her and explained that customers have been coming in crying about her disappearance.

"We miss her terribly. She is the backbone of the business," Lombardi said "We want her found and we want her back."

The Bean Counter Bakery is located on Grove Street in Worcester. Prior to working in Worcester, Brown worked at the Bean Counter location on Route 9 in Shrewsbury.

Anyone with information about Brown or where she could be is asked to call 911 or (508) 799-8606.  

Located in central Massachusetts, Worcester is the second-largest city in the state. It's 51 miles west of Boston.