Focus of search for missing woman moves to south Edmonton, police say

As the search for a missing Edmonton woman moved into its fourth day, police shifted the focusof their efforts Monday to the city's south side.

NadiaAtwi, 32, was last seen by her husband at their home near48thStreet and146thAvenue around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, said her mother,SalwaAtwi.

Her daughter's vehicle was found in a ditch at Rundle Park around 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Weekend efforts to find Atwi focused around the park, where hundreds of volunteers and rescue teams with dogs joined the search.

The police search was shifted to south Edmonton on Monday. An exact location was not disclosed "to allow the members adequate space to conduct their search," police said Monday in a brief statement.

On Monday afternoon, two officers returned to Rundle Park to collectevidence shortly before 3 p.m.

A forensics officer photographed a section of a wooded area between Rundle Park Drive and the North Saskatchewan River,south of the Rundle Park Golf Course.

Behind the treeline, on a downward slope leading to the river, strips of red and orange tape fluttered fromtrees and bushes. The words "Search & Rescue" were printed on some of them.

Family and friends expanded the search by Sunday night to include neighbourhoods near the park, said Atwi'scousin, HebaAtwi.

"It's been searched so many times, it's kind of a dead end at this point," she said of Rundle Park.

Posters of Atwihave been put up throughout the city and as far away as Fort Saskatchewan, she said. The family plans to search the University of Alberta campus, where Atwigraduated with a degree in education.

"Anybody who has ever met her just knows how kind and generous and funny [she is]," her cousin said. "If you're driving, look at every person walking, if you're in a store, look at every face.

"She's out there somewhere and we need to bring her home."

Atwi's cellphone, wallet and other personal belongings were found in her vehicle, her mother said.

The missing woman is about five-foot-eight and weighs 170 to 180 pounds. She has long, dark brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing dark clothing at the time of her disappearance. She requires medication and may be confused, police said.

Atwiis a mother andkindergarten teacher at a private Arabic school in Edmonton.

She wears a hijab but may not have been wearing one when she left her vehicle, her mother said.

"Please, to everybody who knows where Nadia is, please let us know," she said.

"We have been doing everything possible that we could have done, we contacted all the people we know, we put a note on Facebook but we don't know. There are so many stories but we don't know for sure."

HebaAtwisaid the disappearance is out of character for her cousin.

"She's very friendly, very kind, speaks perfect English," she said. "This is absolutely just crazy. We don't even know what to think, what to do. We're just doing what we can, looking everywhere we can."

Police are asking anyone with information about thedisappearance to contact them.