Missing Queens Music Teacher's Car Found In Upstate N.Y.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Saturday were desperately searching for a missing music teacher from Queens after his vehicle was found off a trail in update New York.
His gray 2006 Hyundai Elantra, with a New York license plate DSU6632, was found by police in Shodack, N.Y., just south of Albany.
Public school teacher Keith Johnson, 46, was last seen last Saturday, May 4. On that day, upstairs neighbor Ken Achan bumped into him outside their apartment building in Kew Gardens, reports CBS2's Dave Carlin.
Achan says Johnson told him he was leaving the city for a short trip.
"He told me he left a lot of food out for the cats and not to worry for crying that he's going camping," he said.
Days went by, the mail and garbage piled up, but there was no sign of Johnson. The school's principal at PS 29 in College Point alerted police after Johnson didn't show up to work for several days.
Friends say any absence without a call is very unusual for Johnson, and police said he has no known history of drug abuse or mental health issues.
"He's highly responsible, highly loved by his students," said friend Brian Kastan. "He loves his students, he's a great guy and that's why people are looking for him."
Now police are scouring the woods and the teacher's brother has arrived from his home in Vancouver to join the search.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74682). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
