Friend of missing Webster native: ‘We need to bring him home’

It has been nine days since a man from Webster was last seen in San Jose, California.

Yohanes Kidane moved out to the West Coast to start his dream job at Netflix.

Two weeks later, he was reported missing.

Yohanes’ friends said he was focused, motivated, and excited to start this new chapter. And they say they’re doing everything they can to bring their friend home.

Yohanes went to Webster Schroeder High School, and then went on to graduate from Cornell University.

After graduation the 22-year-old landed a job at Netflix in California.

After two weeks of working, he disappeared.

His sister saw his phone’s location on Aug. 14 at the Golden Gate Bridge.

She says the next day it was still there, and the family became concerned and called police.

According to Yohanes’ brother, investigators say that he left his apartment and got into an Uber on the night of Aug. 14.

A spokesperson for Uber told NBC News that Yohanes had engaged their services and that his trip had “ended at the requested destination without any reported incidents.” They said the requested destination was the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center. The spokesperson said Uber has “been in touch with the driver and with law enforcement” to offer assistance.

His phone and wallet were found at the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center

His family are in the Bay Area searching, and back in Cornell, his friends are doing everything they can to help.

“We’ve been putting out missing posters, trying to spread the word. We started a GoFundMe. And letter templates that people can draft and send it to the offices of public officials,” a friend Eric Zhang said.

“I’ve been working on connecting as many people as possible to pressure the police in San Jose and also finding contacts in the government and law enforcement to also pressure San Jose and gather what they can,” friend Austin Farmer said.

Another one of Yohanes’ friends works for a hospitality firm that owns a hotel in San Francisco.

He asked a supervisor if they could do anything for the family.

So they have provided a room for the family to stay as long as they need to, to look for Yohanes.

“Not only is it the right thing to do, but again Yohanes is a great dude, so anything I can do for him, I will,” friend Caleb Myers said.

The San Jose Police Department released this statement to News10NBC:

On 8/15/2023, at approximately 2:45 pm, Mr. Kidane was reported to the San Jose Police Department as a missing person. Patrol Officers took an initial report and investigated the circumstances of his disappearance. Detectives from the Missing Persons Unit conducted further investigation into this matter. Detectives have learned that Mr. Kidane utilized a rideshare service and was driven from San Jose to San Francisco. Mr. Kidane was last seen in San Francisco. San Jose Police Detectives are coordinating their investigation with the California Highway Patrol, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the United States Coast Guard, and the involved rideshare service to obtain a conclusive answer as to Mr. Kidane’s whereabouts. The investigation has uncovered no evidence to suggest that a crime has occurred. San Jose Detectives have kept Mr. Kidane’s family advised of all pertinent developments in the case. The case will remain open until Mr. Kidane is located.

If you want to donate to help the family stay in the Bay Area to look for their son, you can do so here.

There will also be a prayer vigil held at Cornell in the Sage Chapel, organized by Austin Farmer, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24.