Nepalese student missing from Estes Park

Woman last seen almost a week ago leaving for work

Julie Poppen And Felix Doligosa Jr., Rocky Mountain News

Published June 24, 2006 at midnight

Text size  

• 0 Comments
• Email
• Print

ESTES PARK - A Nepalese college student working here for the summer has been missing for nearly a week.

At this point, police have no evidence to suspect foul play in the disappearance of Pratistha Budhathoki, but they're asking the public for help in finding her.

The 20-year-old was last seen about 9:30 a.m. Sunday as she left for a new job at the Munchin' House, an ice cream parlor on the main drag of this tourist town.

Budhathoki headed out of her apartment door wearing a white Munchin' House T-shirt, jeans and white shoes.

The woman, who doesn't own a car and was walking, was carrying a black backpack, police said. But she left other valuables, such as her passport, at home, friends said.

Family members and friends said it is extremely uncharacteristic for Budhathoki to disappear without telling someone where she was going. Friends reported her missing Monday after becoming increasingly worried when she didn't return home Sunday night.

"We thought she might have gone to Denver or something," Nepali friend Sandhya Khakurel, 21, said.

But then they plastered the town with flyers.

"She's the kind of girl, if she's late to work five minutes, she'll give me a call," said Ashwin Pandey, another Nepali friend and her boss at the Subway sandwich shop where Budhathoki has worked for the past two summers.

Khakurel said she last saw her friend about 2 a.m. Sunday when the two shared a cigarette at Budhathoki's apartment. She said it didn't seem like Budhathoki was depressed.

"I have no clue" what happened to her, Khakurel said. "She has never talked about anything bugging her."

Friends said they were unaware if she had a boyfriend or any known enemies.

"We're not getting any information to make us believe there's any foul play," police Cmdr. Wes Kufeld said. "We're hoping somebody will have some information to lead us in a certain direction."

During the academic year, Budhathoki, nicknamed "Prat," studies finance at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Friends said she was very happy to land a second job at the Munchin' House to make money for school.

"The jobs pay good, and you could work 90 hours a week," Pandey said. "Work was all she did."

But Khakurel said her friend liked to socialize with all of the other Nepalese college students working in Estes. She said the group of friends would spend time at Pandey's place playing Xbox and watching movies and TV.

"We can just hope she's fine," Khakurel said. "We can do nothing. We tried to do anything we could."

Police said that Budhathoki was likely carrying her cell phone and Subway uniform in her pack. Frantic calls to the cell phone from concerned family and friends have gone unanswered.

Kufeld said that investigators have not yet accessed Budhathoki's cell-phone records. He said Pandey was attempting to do so but had not been successful. Kufeld also said that investigators were still reviewing her bank records.

Budhathoki's parents in Kathmandu are worried and requesting constant updates from their niece, Sworupa Khadka, 28, of New York City.

Khadka said that her cousin stayed with her in New York two winters ago and made fast friends. She fears Budhathoki may be too naive when it comes to making friends in a foreign land.

"She'll talk to anybody," Khadka said.

Khadka said she's contacted the Nepalese Embassy in Washington, D.C., about her missing cousin. "Everybody is really concerned," said Khadka, an operations manager at a computer consulting firm.

Budhathoki is described as 5-foot-3, about 130 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

To Help

• Budhathoki was last seen Sunday. Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Corey Pass at 970-577-3828.

•To remain anonymous, call 970-577-3849.

Featured

• Through Your Lens

  

  Submit your photos or see the Editor's Choice slide show here.

• Rocky Multimedia

  

  The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on what's happening today.

• Holiday Lights

  

  Is your house the jolliest on the block? Submit your holiday lights display.

• Holiday Gift Guide

  

  Looking to get a jump-start on the holiday shopping season?

• Mount Crushmore

  

  Which four Broncos greats should be immortalized on Mount Crushmore? Vote here.

• Bronco Dean's rant

  

  Listen to Bronco Dean's midweek rant on the Chiefs.

• Broncos Video

  

  Get the latest from Dove Valley as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's matchup.

• Calendar wallpaper

  

  Download this month's desktop wallpaper calendar

• Sam Adams' Open Mic

  

  Open Mic: Stirrin' the Soup with Matt Iseman