CITY NEWS SERVICE
A search was under way Friday for a missing 23-year-old Japanese foreign exchange student missing a week.
Ryu Asaoka was last seen around 7:15 p.m. on June 14 in the area of Olympic and Rimpau boulevards in the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles, near Los Angeles High School, where he was attending adult school, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.
He has black hair and brown eyes, stands 5 feet 6 and weighs 132 pounds, police said.
Asaoka has no family in the area, and fellow students say his disappearance is out of character, according to police, who say he may be frequenting areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties with large Japanese populations.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts was urged to call the LAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at (213) 996-1800. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.