Authorities are asking for the public's help in locating 29-year-old John A. Greenwaldt, who was was last seen around the Fourth of July in downtown Brainerd.
Greenwaldt's family reported him missing to the Brainerd Police Department Friday when they became concerned no one had heard from him for nearly two weeks.
Gus Schwanke, Greenwaldt's brother-in-law, who lives in Little Falls, said they became concerned when they learned that none of Greenwaldt's friends, who he contacts daily, have heard from him. Schwanke and his wife Mindy, Greenwaldt's sister, haven't heard from him for a couple of weeks.
"He was last seen July 4 getting into a grey car with-I can't remember what she said his name was-but yeah, a friend of his," Schwanke said, adding Greenwaldt's co-worker witnessed him entering the vehicle. "He was in downtown Brainerd in an apartment above the Liquor Pigz (now Big Dogs Bar). ... It was in the afternoon between 3-4 p.m. He was messaging his friend Brooks and then all of a sudden his phone just cut out. There was no service left and he never opened the message from him, which isn't like him."
Schwanke said when Greenwaldt was messaging his friend, he stated he was taking a shower at a girl's house and he would be over to his friend's house soon.
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Schwanke said the family is starting to think something happened to Greenwaldt.
"He went missing before, but it was only for three to four days, and he then kept contact with a close friend," Schwanke said. "And this friend has not heard from him.
"I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to who he hung out with, but I guess he hung out with some shady people. He was hit and miss. ... He hasn't had a steady place to stay. He has been bouncing around with his friends."
"It's not like him to not contact anybody for one day, let alone 13 days," Greenwaldt's sister Stephanie Greenwaldt stated in a Facebook post. "He is wonderful, caring and one of the nicest people ever. He's a father of four and a brother of six. ...He's greatly missed by many and we are all worried about him."
Brainerd Police Chief Corky McQuiston said investigators were busy contacting Greenwaldt's associates in hopes of finding him. McQuiston said Greenwaldt was known to be active on Facebook, but has not been on the social media website since the day he was last seen.
Greenwaldt was living in Brainerd and Baxter, but did not have a home.
"We are trying to pin down who saw him last," McQuiston said. "We have heard some people say he was last seen July 3 and others say July 4. He was seen one of those two days in downtown Brainerd and we are trying to confirm where he could be."
Greenwaldt has an active misdemeanor warrant, but McQuiston does not believe this is why he is missing, as it is not a serious warrant. It is for trespassing.
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"We don't know at this time if his disappearance is suspicious," McQuiston said. "We're trying to get more information."
Anyone who has information on Greenwaldt is asked to call police at 218-829-2805.
Greenwaldt is Caucasian and is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall, 180 pounds, and he has blue eyes and brown hair.
He also has several tattoos on his arms and neck. He has the letters "JOHN" across his left fingers and the word "Diane" on his right forearm. The clothing he was wearing is unknown.
