My brother is still missing, it’s been 8 long months and still no leads as to where he could be or if he is safe. If you would like to follow the search for Vlad we have created a website,
Website for #FindVladek
Timeline:
(All times are EST)
2004
Adopted from Russia with sister: Irena (11), Vladek (5) Pushkin (born), Yegoryevsk (orphanage) Russia
2018 - US Marines
Graduated from boot camp & was later given a desk job in CA that he did not enjoy.
Summer 2019
Vladek advised his family that he found a way to get discharged due to his early childhood trauma from Russia. Told his family that “Failure to adapt” was the official disposition. Vladek/Dad has a copy of discharge paperwork, and the family gave that to LE. Unknown if LE tried to get access to full records. After leaving the Marines, Vladek goes
to live with his dad for a few months.
January 2020
After temporary stay with dad, Vladek moves in with his sister, Cari in Michigan. Holds a job in Southfield, MI - worked as Environmental Services technician at St. John Providence Hospital Southfield. Vladek loved this job & prospered here. All is well until COVID. The pandemic causes unavoidable financial problems & disruption in the household. Daycares close due to COVID and Cari is a single mother so she was forced to take a leave of absence from her job to take care of her daughter – Vlad continues to work and support the three of them during this time. They move Nashua, NH a few months later – Vlad gets fired from job
and moves back to Florida to live with his dad.
Summer 2020
Moved to Florida & lives with dad and wife (not bio mom). There is tension due to Vladek not having a job & contributing to household finances. Dad does not want to aggravate what he observes as a possible depression growing within Vladek. They decide to leave (Dad later gets a divorce)
September 2020 - November 2020
They stay in a few hotels
November 2020
Dad & Vladek move into the apartment at “The Place at Alafaya”
11600 MacKay Blvd, Orlando, FL 32826
Over the course of 2021
He spoke frequently about how eventually he wanted to go off and live in the woods, but he said he wouldn’t do that until after his dad had passed away. Vladek didn’t want to leave his dad alone or for his dad to be blamed (by the family or anyone else) for him leaving. Vladek developed an increased interest in religion & Heaven. Made comments “What is the point if we can just be in Heaven?” Vladek also switches from being a more materialistic person to wanting minimalism - states things of this world are just a distraction from heaven. He seems to lack motivation and purpose and starts to spend more time & money on the homeless population. He really enjoys making people feel important, loved & heard. He gives extremely large tips to servers at restaurants, hands cash to the needy & buys things for anyone that appears to have a need. On one occasion he even gives his credit card to a homeless couple to use and they take advantage of his generosity.
September -October 2021
His new set of ideals regarding “things of this world being a distraction from Heaven” seem to take a firmer hold. He believes his iPhone is a distraction. It is around this time that he told his dad that broke it on purpose and throws his iPhone away & gives his tablet to Bethany. Vladek didn’t want to get a phone to replace the iPhone - Dad insists Vladek at least carry a flip phone for safety.
Wednesday November 3rd, 2021
Vlad is driving dad’s car and it breaks down at Waterford Lakes Plaza near Fresh Kitchen. Vlad walks back to the apartment. Vladek is upset about it & worries that dad will be mad. Dad completely understands & agrees that the car is old and the engine can be replaced.
Thursday November 4th, 2021
Car towed to mechanic – remains there until dad picks it up on November 15th, 2021.
Thursday November 4th, 2021
According to acquaintance/friend- staff from “Smokey Bones” Vlad called him “a few nights before he went missing” & asked him if he could “crash for a night or two at his house”. Phone records show an outgoing call to a number believed to be this person on 11/4 at 7:13pm was a 5 minute call.
(Newly received information 4/9/22)
Thursday November 4th, 2021PM -
Vladek makes comments to my dad about archangels and demons and how you have to be dark to kill the dark (I assume this is what he was listening to on YouTube) – per dad he wasn’t making a lot of sense.
Friday November 5th, 2021
Dad (Steve) leaves with Vlad’s mom (Cheryl) to meet Bethany and her friends in Tennessee for Bethany’s birthday. This is a scheduled 10-day trip. Vladek was invited to go along for the trip, said he preferred to stay home. (not uncommon for him to back out on things last
minute) Steve gives Vlad $100 cash and a credit card. He also offers to buy more groceries, but Vladek believes there is enough food in the house & declines. Dad tells Vladek that he is expecting a package to arrive while he is out of town, asks Vladek to bring it inside when it arrives – Vladek says he will.
(Newly received information 4/7/22)
Friday November 5th, 2021 8pm.
Shortly after dad leaves Friday evening, Vladek apparently walked to Foxtail Coffee on University Blvd. He bought a coffee and was pacing inside the establishment while listening to music with his headphones (Foxtail says this is a normal behavior for him to do when he
comes in). While he was there, he reportedly pulled out a knife (placed it on a table I think?). A customer sees this, feels uncomfortable and tells Foxtail worker that Vladek was making him feel uncomfortable and was going to leave – didn’t mention the knife to Foxtail worker. Customer comes back to Foxtail later that night and tells Foxtail worker that he also saw Vladek with a knife – Vladek had since left so they couldn’t address it at that time. Foxtail manager states none of the employee’s witnessed the knife incident and there was not surveillance footage of the encounter.
**This was previously unknown & the trespass incident was believed to have actually occurred the following morning.**
Saturday November 6th, 2021 1:59am
Vladek has a 6 min call with Irena, his biological sister (he calls her). She later says he gave her no clues he was going to be going anywhere. It is not unusual for them to chat at very late hours.
Saturday November 6th, 2021 7:11am
Vladek arrives back at Foxtail. Foxtail makes the decision to call LE and have Vladek permanently trespassed because of the customer’s complaint from the night before - he displayed a weapon (corporate zero tolerance policy) Vladek calmly left when the officer asked and appeared to be walking west toward Wawa convenience store. OCSO
originally tells the family Vladek was trespassed for being “hyperverbal”/ no mention of a knife.
This is the LAST official sighting/proof of life that is 100% verifiable (due to
police response & Foxtail video) ⚠ He was wearing a black hoodie, khaki
shorts and red slides/sandals ⚠ (timestamp later provided by Foxtail)
Saturday November 6th, 2021
The officer notes the time of 08:26 am EST on the trespass warning. It is presumed Vladek walked away towards Wawa at approximately this time.
Saturday November 6th, 202112:01pm
Unread text rec’d from a phone number that had never previously called or texted the new flip phone. Message reads “Vlad, it’s OB from the bak (SIC) of the neighborhood”. Vladek did not read this text. No further activity by Vladek on the phone after the 01:59 am EST call with sister, Irena. All text messages on his phone were unread from that day on, phone was found in Vladek’s bedroom near a charger cord – but it was not charged - Phone picked up by OCSO on 11/18 or 11/19.
Monday November 8th, 2021 2pm (Approx.)
A box is delivered to dad’s apartment at the Place at Alafaya per online tracking number. Attempting to officially verify date & time with corporate. This box is still sitting outside the apartment when Steve gets home from Tennessee on 11/15/21. Family collectively agrees that if Vladek was home, he would have brought this package inside as promised. Dad also noted that upon his return from Tennessee: it did not appear as though any food or drinks had been consumed, were missing from the fridge and no dirty dishes were present. Dad stated that it was like Vladek hadn’t stayed there at all during the time he was away.
Friday November 12th, 2021
A maintenance worker states that he saw Vladek near the basketball court in the apartment complex and spoke with him for about five minutes. The package by dad’s apartment front door would have been visible from this location & present from approximately 11/8/21- on. Did the maintenance worker get the day mixed up?
Monday November 15th, 2021 3am
Vladek reportedly went to someone else’s apartment in the complex (weed dealer possibly?) and said he was “going off grid.”
Monday November 15th, 2021
Dad comes home around 4pm EST after picking up the car from the repair shop on his way home. Vladek wasn’t home, his cell phone was dead in his bedroom with the charger cord nearby. Dad waited until Wed. 11/17/21 to report him missing because he told Vladek he’d be back on Tuesday night, so he thought Vladek would show up by then.
Wednesday November 17th, 2021
Bethany reports Vladek missing. Dad and Bethany posts flyers immediately with Dad’s phone number on it for tips.
Thursday November 18th, 2021
Thursday Family asks apartment complex for video. The only camera feeds available were in the gym & laundry room. Footage only preserved for 7 days: apartment complex says they will review and allow OCSO to review as well.
Friday November 19th, 2021 PM
Search officially begins at nighttime: (Per Bethany on FB) chopper overhead/K9 dog is also there. It was raining. 11/19/21 OSCO Posts to social media
Saturday November 20th, 2021
Door to door canvass by patrol locates the 11/15/21 “witness” that states Vladek stopped by at 03:00 am talking about going off the grid. Police also used thermal/infrared heat drones to search. (note this “sighting” is not at all included in the OCSO timeline as his
“last seen”) Police are on scene from 11am-to at least 11:30pm. Late November 2021 OCSO show dad a picture of a sandal they found in the woods during their search, it was a red slide shoe (only one found) Dad told LE that Vladek owned those type of shoes but didn’t remember a red pair.
December 20th, 2021
Vladek's 23rd birthday
January 9th, 2021
Approached by Night Owl Reconnaissance a 501(c) nonprofit search organization offering their help with Vladek’s search
January 21st, 2021
Night Owl updates family regarding they are internally discussing logistics of the Video Game Console Data Review – started planning how to go about gaining access PlayStation account/device.
December 11th, 2021
Vlad’s PlayStation is shipped to Night Owl Reconnaissance in an attempt to obtain further intelligence. Vladek may have communicated with others while gaming. Vladek frequently watched YouTube videos (unknown content) either through an app on this console or his SmartTv. No further info at this time.
February 12th or 13th, 2022 Between 10am - Noon
Possible sighting at Foxtail. Customer reported an earlier incident to management. Family reported having previously seen a man, having a possible manic episode, near the Foxtail
dumpster. On the day they saw this individual, they reported it to the workers who said they would call OCSO. The man was reportedly talking to himself in a very animated fashion. Subject may have been wearing a white top & light-colored pants. He was also barefoot. Customers spoke to the employees about him and left. He was later observed by the same family leaving Foxtail towards Wawa on foot.
**Foxtail manager later tells the family (on 4/8/22) that they do not believe the person observed in February was Vladek, as they are all very familiar with him. No police were called at the time because the person walked away. No video of this incident was available (or preserved)**
February 24th, 2022
Family has debriefing with LE. On this day they find out that there is an OCSO employee victim’s advocate that is available to them who is currently in the room. They are also given back Vlad’s flip phone and Dad’s laptop (shared, but Vlad hadn’t used in approx. year). Sister, Bethany is shown picture of red slide shoe - she is told on this day that the shoe has
been sent out for DNA testing. Bethany told LE that those are the types of shoes Vladek wears but doesn’t remember a red pair. It is also on this day that Bethany asks a female detective assigned to the case if Vladek’s iPhone records can be requested from Apple for more information & was told they did not.
*Vladek had used that iPhone up to possibly one month prior to his disappearance on 11/6.*
April 7th, 2022
Billboards go up
April 7th, 2022
Foxtail manager update mentioned above (trespass details, the presence of an manager’s video (being provided to LE)
April 9th, 2022
Foxtail Coffee Manager provides the family with a still frame from the video taken on the morning of 11/6/21 @ 07:00 am EST. This picture shows Vladek arriving at Foxtail Coffee & clearly shows his clothing & shoes. Despite the family previously not recalling if Vladek owned red slides, he is in fact wearing red slides. This is the last known picture of Vladek as far as the family knows.
April 9th, 2022
Updates from family that visited the area today:
Foxtail manager: Stated Vladek introduced himself as Bryan (his legal name) and was known by employee’s as “Bryan”. Manager said there were times that Vladek paced in the store for several hours, times where he wore headphones “blasting the music and singing out loud”, and times he would sit at the corner tables. If he was asked to quiet down, he would always
comply with no issues. He states there were many times that Bryan would make customers nervous and they would mention it to the staff. Manager stated that he spoke with “Bryan” several times and he “got the impression he was struggling”. Manager stated that Vladek said he was “sleep deprived”.
*** Foxtail Coffee has asked to limit their communication on Vladek’s
missing person case to immediate family members, police, and investigators
only.***
Smokey Bones employee & friend of Vlad: Spoke with XXXX at Smokey Bones. XXXX says he was “more of an acquaintance than a friend”. He stated he had known Vladek for about six months, and there was a two-month break during that time. He states he only met with him outside of work once, when Vladek drove him to a pawn shop to pawn a guitar. He
stated that he would see Vlad about once a week at Smokey Bones. Vlad never ordered alcohol and would drink sweet tea. Vlad once invited him to steak dinner with his dad, but XXXX declined. He stated Vladek said he ate out a lot with his dad. XXXX described his personality as “upbeat and energetic” and a little different. XXXX also mentioned that Vlad had asked him to “crash for a night or two at his house” a few nights before he went missing. XXXX declined Vlad’s request, because he had a gf and didn’t feel comfortable with this. He also stated that during the last month, Vladek went from wanting to preach the Bible and have a pilgrimage to saying he wanted to sing.
April 10th, 2022
Update from Dad to Bethany. “The search group from Ft. Meyers experienced a stumbling block when the Sheriff’s office said they would not be on scene for a search. The search group states they need the Sheriff’s Office present in order to do their search. The Fort Myers Search Team recommended another organization to try.”(name redacted) Dad is following up with that coordinator. (11am Monday call scheduled)
June 25th, 2022
#TeamVladek had a very full weekend, grateful to all that helped with canvassing/posting flyers for Vladek yesterday and for the search team coming out and investing their time and resources to clear the woods. They had more volunteers than they expected and cleared the woods in one day instead of two. They didn’t find any sign of Vladek so I’m relieved that we can cross that out and continue our search efforts in other ways.
