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SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — After several days of a more scaled-back search for Brian Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve, activity appeared to be ramping up Wednesday morning.
WFLA photojournalist Justin Rogers spotted several unmarked law enforcement SUVs heading into the Venice side of the nature reserve around 10:30 a.m. ET. A large drone was spotted being taken out of a van around noon and was later seen flying around the reserve.
Search crews appeared to be wrapping up for the day around 6 p.m.
The search for Gabby Petito’s fiancé – and the lone person of interest in her disappearance – is now in its third week.
Laundrie was reported missing by his parents on Friday, Sept. 17. At the time, they told police they had last seen him leave home to go to the Carlton Reserve for a hike on Tuesday, Sept. 14. The family’s attorney confirmed this week that, after further communication with the FBI, the Laundries now believe their son left home to go hiking on Sept. 13.
“The Laundries were basing the date Brian left on their recollection of certain events,” attorney Steven Bertolino said.
North Port police confirmed to 8 On Your Side on Wednesday that an abandoned vehicle notice was placed on the Laundries’ Mustang on Tuesday, Sept. 14. A heavily-redacted incident report shows the notice was placed on the car at 2:42 p.m. that day.
The location listed on the incident report is 6968 Reistertown Road in North Port – the listed address for the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
The listed offense on the report is Ordinance 42-56 – a local ordinance that pertains to abandoned vehicles.
“If the owner cannot be located we make arrangements for removal by initiating the five-day process,” North Port Public Information Officer Josh Taylor told WFLA. “After five days has passed, if the vehicle is still present, an officer will have it towed.”
According the Laundrie family’s attorney, the Mustang was back outside the family’s home on Sept. 15.