Police Resume Search for Missing Oak Lawn Man

Police continue to reported missing by his family early Sunday morning.

Sabbithi’s car was found parked near the forest preserve at 95th Street and Wolf Road on Sunday, where Cook County Forest Preserve Police spent the day searching the woods on all-terrain vehicles.

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A Joliet police bloodhood tracked the missing man’s scent to the boat launch at the Saganashkee Slough at 107th Street and 104th Avenue. The scent was lost there.

Division Chief Michael Kaufmann said that a Chicago Police helicopter spent a few hours in the air on Monday searching the banks of the Cal-Sag Canal. ATVs are combing the foot trails that were searched on Sunday.

“The tree cover is making it difficult to see below except for areas that are open,” Kaufmann said. “It’s a very large area. It’s difficult to navigate and some areas are only accessible by foot.”

Cook County Forest Preserve Police are back in boats searching the lake.

“They’ve been very helpful at this point,” Kaufmann said.

Sabbithi’s car was found in good condition with his keys, wallet and cell phone locked inside. Kaufmann said that his family reported that Sabbithi, of the 4100 block of West 93rd Place, had seemed depressed.

“He wasn’t being medicated or treated for it,” Kaufmann said. “He never made any indications that he was going to harm himself. Those were his family’s words for it.”

Sabbithi was a student at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago where he was pursuing his master’s degree in ministry. He came directly to the program after graduating from Carthage College.

LSTC spokeswoman Jan Boden said the school first learned that Sabbithi was missing from the news media.

“It’s a shock to us to hear that he’s missing,” school spokeswoman Jan Boden said. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s a small school and small community. Alpha was very involved on campus and the multi-cultural center here.”

Students are planning a vigil at 6 p.m. Monday in the Roby Chapel at the Lutheran School of Theology at 1100 East 55th St, in Chicago.

“[Our pastor] has been in contact with the family,” Boden said. “Certainly our concern is for Alpha and for them, and respecting his family’s privacy and the great anxiety they are feeling right now.”

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