New footage of missing American revealed

ISTANBUL

The owner of the house in which Sierra was staying said he had not seen the 33-year-old since Jan. 20. She was last seen on security cameras. Screen capture from DHA video

Footage of 33-year-old American Sarai Sierra, who has been missing in Istanbul since Jan. 21, surfaced today in media outlets as Turkish and U.S. continued attempts to locate the mother of two.

The footage shows the woman strolling in a Taksim shopping mall and eating lunch on Jan. 20. She is seen wearing jeans, a leather jacket and a grey beret.

The woman’s husband, Steven Sierra, and brother arrived in Istanbul yesterday to aid in the search.

Steven Sierra reportedly collected his spouse’s belongings from the Tarlabaşı house at which she was staying before handing over the effects to police.

A missing person report, however, was only filed on Jan. 25, which has slowed down the process of locating her, according to a police officer. The U.S. embassy and consulate general are working on the case, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland has said.

The owner of the house in which Sierra was staying said he had not seen the woman since Jan. 20, Doğan news agency reported.

The woman’s family last made contact with her on Jan. 21, the day before she was supposed to begin her journey back to the United States.

Three days after renting a room in Istanbul on Jan. 12, Sierra traveled to Amsterdam and Munich, Anatolia news agency quoted sources as saying. She returned to Turkey on Jan. 19.

A friend of the woman, Magalena Rodriguez, is also trying to gather information about Sierra’s whereabouts on social media.