Police and volunteers are searching vacant lots for an influencer who vanished three weeks ago. Gabriela 'Babi' Cardoso, 23, has not been seen since September 6. Her mother's car was later found hidden at an empty house. Officers are treating homicide as one line of inquiry.
Car found at abandoned house
The hunt is centred around the area of Tramandai on Brazil's southern coast. Cardoso left her hometown Torres in her mother's white Volkswagen Gol that Sunday. She rang her mother at about 10pm and said she was well and heading home to return the car. She also spoke to a friend about an hour later.
CCTV in Tramandai captured the car at about 9.50pm. The Gol turned up in a garage at an abandoned house in the Portelinha district on September 16. An anonymous tip led the police there. The plates and rear stickers had been taken off.
Forensic findings and police statement
Forensic teams found her phone and a fingernail inside the car. Neighbours said they had seen odd movements around the property at the time she vanished. Civil Police delegate Alexandre Souza said: "No line of inquiry has been ruled out at the present time." He said homicide was among the possibilities.
Robbery-murder has been played down because her belongings were left behind. Femicide has not been confirmed. Her mum, Rosane Maria Matos Evaldt, said finding the car brought "inexplicable pain."
Search efforts continue
Search teams with dogs and a thermal drone covered the coast between Tramandai and neighbouring Cidreira last weekend. A volunteer post said: "We are going to look for Gabriela in every vacant lot and abandoned area in the city. If everyone helps, we will be helping the police solve this case."
Cardoso worked as an app driver and posted lifestyle clips. Her Instagram account has nearly 38,000 followers. Souza said further details would be released only if they did not harm the inquiry. The search continues.
