Cape Coral woman still missing after 19 days, father pleads for her safe return

Reporter: Nicole Gabe
Published: Updated:
Lauren Dumolo. Credit: (Provided to WINK News)

It’s been 19 days and still no sign of 29-year-old Lauren Dumolo.

“Yeah, my whole life went upside down. Part of me is missing. It’s probably by far the worst feeling I’ve ever felt in my life,” said her father, Paul Dumolo.

He says he’s been searching for his daughter day and night.

“A lot of people knew her and it was like from her house to here is maybe an eighth of a mile, and for nobody to know nothing,” he said. “It’s really frustrating.”

Lauren was reportedly last seen on Friday, June 19 — the same day her purse was found at Four Freedoms Park.

Fifteen days later, Lauren’s sister found a shirt they believe belonged to her in that same park.

“If I stayed there and broke down and I don’t stay strong, I’ll be no good to help my daughter, to find my daughter,” he said.

Lauren Dumolo, 29 is considered missing and endangered. Credit: via CCPD.

He’s not alone. A Facebook group created by SWFL Helping Hands organized a search for Lauren Tuesday night at Four Freedoms Park starting at 5 p.m. Paul says he doesn’t know the organizers but believes it could be a gamechanger.

“Just for a community to be that caring and that giving of their time and to find and help find another family that they have no idea, just out of the kindness of their heart, is amazing. It’s beautiful,” he said.

He’s hoping against hope, someone is holding his daughter and will let her go.

“If you give me my daughter and I can take her, I’ll walk away. That’s it. I’m done. That’s my word, I give you my word on that,” Paul said. “Not knowing is worse, it’s worse, it’s hard.”

Cape Coral Police say they have no new information or leads in Lauren’s disappearance. Her father won’t be in Cape Coral for the organized search tonight, as he says he’s looking for her in another location where he believes she may have been.

If you see or know anything about Lauren, please call the police.

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