ORMOND BEACH -- While family members have heard from a missing 28-year-old Ormond Beach
man, Volusia County Sheriff's investigators still don't know where he is and have not solved the mystery of his disappearance Tuesday night.
"Relatives initially launched their own search for Ronak Desai when he failed to return home after working at the family-run business, a Jiffy Food Store on South Nova Road near Ormond Beach," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. "U-Haul trucks also are rented at the business, and family members said Desai was scheduled torent a truck to a customer shortly before the store was due to close at9:30 p.m. Tuesday night. Desai's father called the Sheriff's Office at 10:46 p.m. to report his son missing after driving to the store and finding his son's vehicle and cell phone in the parking lot, but no sign of Desai or the U-Haul truck."
Deputies have been investigating all night and into Wednesday in an effort to locate Desai, but so far without success. Desai contacted a family member Wednesday morning, but the conversation did not result in any disclosure of his whereabouts.
Desai is of Middle Eastern descent and is 5 feet 7 and weighs about 200 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, a medium build and medium complexion. Investigators also continue searching for the U-Haul truck, although it is not known if it's connected in any way to Desai's disappearance.
The U-Haul truck has an Arizona plate. The tag number is AB67167.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (386) 248-1777.