SALLY CONTARINO DIDN’T KNOW SHE WAS BEING FILMED đź’” VIRAL FOOTAGE FROM DAYS BEFORE HER DISAPPEARANCE HAS NOW TAKEN ON A HEARTBREAKING NEW MEANING
The sister of missing Melbourne woman Sally Contarino has given new details on the timeline leading up to her disappearance.
According to Lauren Contarino, Sally was last seen on CCTV after leaving Smith’s Marketplace at approximately 1:02pm walking in the direction of the mountains before beginning her hike.
Real Vegas Locals social media page, which has been liasing with Lauren, said that “search dogs followed Sally’s scent after she left Smith’s Marketplace, closer to the edge of town rather than deep within the Spring Mountains or Mount Charleston itself.
“Beyond that, we don’t know exactly where the scent trail ended or what additional information investigators have, and we’re being careful not to speculate.”
Lauren also told the outlet, “we have tremendous support here from various sources”.
Real Vegas Locals:
The Las Vegas community page that helped draw attention to a newly surfaced video of missing Australian tourist Sally Grace Contarino says one of the biggest unanswered questions in the case is why she was in an area of the city many locals actively avoid.
The Melbourne woman, 26, had been travelling solo through California and Nevada, and was last seen or heard from on June 20, the day before she was due to fly home to Australia.
Real Vegas Locals, which obtained and verified footage showing Ms Contarino outside a 7-Eleven on Boulder Highway on June 17, told news.com.au the stretch of road has long been associated with high levels of “crime, drug activity and prostitution”, making it one of Las Vegas’ most notorious corridors.
“[The] corridor has long been known locally for high levels of crime, drug activity, prostitution, and other public safety issues,” a spokesperson said.
“Its reputation is so well established that it has become part of Las Vegas culture, with countless jokes, memes, and social media posts referencing the area every week.
“It’s widely regarded by locals as a place to avoid unless they have a specific reason to be there.”
The group stressed there is no evidence linking Ms Contarino’s disappearance to the area, noting she vanished three days later after travelling towards Mount Charleston, but believed her presence there remained an important part of the timeline.
A man filmed as he approached the woman believed to be Sally Contarino at a petrol station asking if he can get her number on June 17. Picture: Instagram
“One of the questions many locals have been asking is what brought Sally to that particular area?” the community page asked.
They said they noted one Australian news outlet framed the case as highlighting the risks of Australians travelling alone in Las Vegas, however argued that “Las Vegas, like any major city, has neighbourhoods with very different reputations and crime levels”.
“Boulder Highway has long been one of the city’s most well-known corridors for crime, drug activity, prostitution, and other public safety issues,” the spokesperson said.
“We know this was not Sally’s last known location and we’re not suggesting the two are connected,” the page said. “However, given the area’s reputation and the fact it forms part of her known timeline, we believe it’s a detail that deserves careful consideration rather than being overlooked.”
Real Vegas Locals said it first became aware of the footage after the man who filmed it posted in the group’s Reddit discussion about the missing tourist.
The content creator @epicDamianpov told the page he had already provided the original recording to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police before agreeing to let it be shared publicly to help raise awareness.
LVMPD has confirmed its Missing Persons Unit is aware of the video, and investigators have the footage as part of their investigation.
News.com.au has contacted the content creator for comment. It is not suggested he had any involvement in Ms Contarino’s disappearance.
In the video, the women declines to give her number, saying she has a boyfriend. Picture: Instagram
Administrators reviewed the original Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses file and confirmed embedded metadata showed it was recorded at 3.46pm on June 17, with GPS coordinates matching the Boulder Highway 7-Eleven where the interaction took place.
The page said public interest in Ms Contarino’s disappearance had been unprecedented, with the video attracting more than 600,000 views in less than 24 hours, mostly from people in the Las Vegas area.
They added the widespread attention had helped piece together new elements of Ms Contarino’s movements, describing it as by far the most viral missing person case they had covered in recent years.
“We think part of the reason this case has resonated is because Sally is an Australian tourist. Las Vegas has a large Australian visitor base, especially with events like the annual NRL games, so many locals feel a connection.
“The Mount Charleston aspect has also drawn attention, as it’s a well-known destination but has unfortunately been the location of several high-profile search, rescue, and recovery operations over the years, including cases where missing hikers and other individuals have later been found deceased.”
Australian woman Sally Contarino was last seen or heard from on June 17. Picture: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Real Vegas Locals told news.com.au they were now in direct contact with Ms Contarino’s sister.
She has been missing since June 20 after failing to board her scheduled flight home to Australia, prompting an urgent search by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Authorities have declared Ms Contarino an “endangered missing adult” and said she may be experiencing “severe emotional distress” and could require medical assistance.
Viral video of missing Aussie tourist
The video, which has since gone viral, shows a young woman believed to be Ms Contarino standing outside a 7-Eleven on Boulder Highway in Las Vegas when she is approached by Instagram creator @epicDamianpov, who regularly uploads videos of himself approaching women in the city.
Filmed using Meta smart glasses, the clip begins with the man walking towards the Australian tourist as she shelters from the afternoon sun while smoking a cigarette.
“Sorry, I saw that you were very beautiful and I was wondering if I could get your number, by chance?” he asks.
Smiling politely, Ms Contarino declines his advance.
“I have a boyfriend,” she replies.
“Oh, OK. Are you waiting for him, or…?” he asks.
“No, I’m just going to have a cigarette and go inside,” she responds.
The brief exchange ends moments later as the man returns to his car. He later uploaded the clip with the caption: “Trying to pick up a beautiful woman.”
The area she was spotted in, although opposite a well known off-strip casino, is known for its crime. Picture: Google Maps
Ms Contarino had been travelling solo through California and Nevada and was due to fly home to Melbourne on June 21.
On June 19 she texted friends: “I’m about to hike up Lone Mountain then go home – I fly back tomorrow.”
That evening CCTV captured her spending almost two hours at Timbers Bar & Grill, where staff later described her as calm, quiet and in good spirits before she left alone on foot.
The Sun US reported restaurant manager Jocelyn Zeigler-Arthur said the neighbourhood surrounding the hostel where Ms Contarino was staying was “terrible”.
“It is not great for a girl alone,” she said.
Police said CCTV captured Ms Contarino returning to Bungalows Hostel during the early hours of June 20.
Nevada police have issued a renewed plea for assistance to find Ms Contarino. Picture: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
CCTV footage of Ms Contarino. Picture: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
According to her family, she told hostel staff she would return to collect her luggage, visited a nearby cafe where she ordered breakfast and a protein smoothie before boarding a bus to Mount Charleston, a popular hiking destination northwest of Las Vegas.
Detectives believe she got off the bus and entered the national park, where she is understood to have planned a hike. Police say she was known to enjoy hiking and had previously visited the area.
Investigators have since recovered Ms Contarino’s luggage, deployed search dogs using her clothing, conducted extensive grid searches and confirmed a Greyhound bus ticket she purchased to Los Angeles was never scanned.
Police also said there is no CCTV showing she boarded the bus.
Ms Contarino’s sister Lauren has been raising awareness online, describing her sibling as an experienced traveller who loved the American desert landscape, while also revealing she had experienced mental health struggles.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police are urging anyone who may have seen Ms Contarino in the Las Vegas or Mount Charleston areas before she disappeared to come forward.
She is described as having a slim build, brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a grey or blue sweatshirt, denim shorts, black-and-white shoes and carrying a bag.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Las Vegas Police Department at [email protected].
SOURCE AND VIDEO: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/video-shows-pickup-artist-approach-missing-melbourne-woman-sally-contarino-before-she-vanished/news-story/cc6e321944adf62ec83f83ba4085962c
