IU senior missing since Thursday night

IU senior Daniel Eliot, has been missing since Thursday night, according to police. \nNo friends or family members have spoken to or seen him, and he is not answering his phone, said his father, Ronald Eliot. Friends and family became alarmed when he did not show up Friday to his job as a student teacher at Carmel High School. \n"There's been no calls, no friend interactions, nothing. It's like he disappeared off the face of the earth," Ronald Eliot said.\nRonald Eliot said his son was upset recently and had some personal problems leading up to his disappearance. His friend, Randyn Payne, said he was in high spirits when he spoke to him at about 10 p.m. Thursday.\n"He called Thursday one of his best days of student teaching," Payne said. "Even his typically worst class was good. He was ready to teach, had a job interview he was excited about Friday and we had plans to go to Bloomington this weekend."\nCarmel High School officials called Eliot's aunt Friday morning to tell the family he had not shown up for student-teaching. His parents became concerned and went to his aunt's house, where Eliot has been staying while student-teaching, and contacted police.\nPolice searched Eliot's room and found his backpack was still there, but his car was gone. There was also a small withdrawal from his bank account in downtown Indianapolis Friday, but police will have to wait until Tuesday to see the surveillance tape to determine if Eliot took the money out.\nIU Police Department shift commander Andy Stephenson said he is aware the Eliot family is working with the Indianapolis Police Department but had no new information on Eliot's whereabouts. \n"He's his own man," Ronald Eliot said. "I'm hoping this time he went off somewhere, thinking things out." \nAbout two years ago, Daniel Eliot turned off his phone and went to Florida for a few days, Ronald Eliot said. His friends and family are concerned and hope he is just taking time to think but want to hear from him to make sure he's safe, he said.\n"He's my only son and my wife's baby," he said. "Being parents, it's really bad for us, but we're keeping hope and prayers that he'll come back soon as safe as possible."\nAnyone with information about Daniel Eliot's whereabouts is urged to contact his parents at 317-327-6916 or Indianapolis Police at 317-327-6916.