Police: Columbia Student Has Not Been Seen Since Last Week
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Friday were searching for a 19-year-old Columbia University student who has not been seen since last week.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, Nayla Kidd was last seen around 5 p.m. Thursday, May 5, on the Columbia campus.
She is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 120 pounds, with a thin build, a medium complexion, brown eyes and black hair. There is no known clothing description, police said.
Kidd's mother, LaCreis Kidd, arrived on a plane from Kentucky, Friday to search for her missing daughter.
"For her to be missing right now is very heart-wrenching," LaCreis Kidd said.
Kidd's cousin, Aysha Curtis, stood in the rain near the Columbia campus Friday evening, holding a flier for her the missing sophomore engineering student.
"She's here on a full scholarship, so she wouldn't just go missing," Curtis said. "This is not her normal behavior."
Nayla Kidd's family said may have taken the No. 1 train here at 110th Street-Cathedral Parkway, heading uptown to her apartment on Broadway not far from school.
"She was going home, so she left a gathering somewhere over here at a dorm," Curtis said. "At 9:32 is when she swiped in."
Police sources told CBS2 that Kidd's Facebook account was deactivated, her credit card and bank accounts were canceled, and her cellphone was turned off. It was unclear if Nayla Kidd or someone else may have done it all.
"She didn't indicate that anything was wrong," LaCreis Kidd said.
Kidd has also missed all of her finals.
"Her last final was scheduled for today," LaCries Kidd said. "This is not Nayla. She prides herself in doing her very best in school."
Meanwhile, Curtis has posted these fliers around the area, and an email alert was sent out to students by the university on Wednesday.
"It's been a while since she's caught up with any of her friends, so it's definitely worrisome," said Columbia senior Noah Zinsmeister.
"She's a very bright student, and we just have to find her, please," Curtis said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or (888) 57-PISTA for Spanish, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577. Those with information may also call Columbia Public Safety at (212) 854-5555, or the NYPD 26th Precinct Detective Squad at (212) 678‐1351.
