Police are asking for public assistance after a San Francisco-based financial trader disappeared during a trip to England for a job interview.
24-year-old Josh Sanchez-Maldonado flew to London from Japan on October 21, according to NBC News, in a trip London's Metropolitan Police are describing as "the first time he had traveled outside the U.S. on his own."
He was spotted leaving the St Giles Hotel in the West London area of Feltham at 12:35 a.m. on October 22, reports the Daily Mail. He never returned, nor did he catch his scheduled flight (Heathrow to Dublin to SF) later that day.
Though every other outlet reporting on Sanchez-Maldonado's disappearance says that he is a financial trader based in San Francisco, the UK Guardian says that he actually lives in Puerto Rico with his mother, "while working on his MBA in finance and as a self-employed commodities and foreign exchange trader." An email sent to the Guardian reporter for clarification was not responded to at publication time.
According to his parents, Sanchez-Maldonado had flown to London for a job interview, though "investigators said they had been unable to uncover the details of the appointment," NBC reports.
The Guardian reports that Sanchez-Maldonado's parents have since arrived in London to meet with police.
According to his father, Jose Sanchez, Sanchez-Maldonado had been in regular communication with his family throughout the trip, and when they spoke on October 21 βHe was kind of tired because he had just arrived...He was sad he was away from home, so we were just talking about when he was coming back. He never confirmed the interview, he just told me he had a potential job interview in London.β
In a video statement released earlier today, Sanchez father asks any Londoners who might see Josh to "let him know that we're concerned, that we're looking for him."
Josh Sanchez-Maldonado disappeared on his way to a job interview last week. His Dad has this message to Londoners... pic.twitter.com/39Fj34yLFw
β Richard Main (@RPMain) October 29, 2015
ABC reports that the U.S. Embassy in London is aware of Sanchez-Maldonado's disappearance and is "working closely with his family and British police." Anyone at home or abroad who might have information on his disappearance is asked to get in touch with Hounslow CID, which offers a variety of contact methods on their website.