THE disappearance of a young software engineer who was last seen getting into an Uber has brought back haunting memories for the fiancé of a dead tech CEO.
Missing Netflix worker Yohanes Kidane, 22, was last seen in San Francisco, California, on August 14, just two weeks after starting his first post-grad job.
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"The moment I saw the headline, it reopened a lot of bad memories," Jason Abate, the fiancé of late tech CEO Beau Mann, told The U.S. Sun.
"There's hope that we can find him, but the reason why it opened up bad memories is because no one tells you what to do."
A frantic search is underway for Yohanes, who disappeared after getting into an Uber in front of his home in San Jose at around 7.15pm last Monday.
He had just moved to the city two weeks ago from Rochester, New York, after earning a computer science degree at Cornell University.
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Yohanes' phone, wallet, and ID were discovered near the Golden Gate Bridge.
The 2023 Cornell University graduate told his siblings right before the trip that he was going to San Francisco to visit a friend.
Yohanes' sister alerted officials after she discovered that his phone's location hadn't moved from near the bridge all night.
She called the phone and talked with a stranger who had picked it up. They worked together to give the belongings to police.
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Officials do not suspect any criminal activity is involved in Yohanes' disappearance at this time.
BEAU MANN TRAGEDY
Yohanes' case brought up devastating memories for Abate, whose partner was missing for more than a year.
On November 30, 2021, Mann, a 39-year-old who founded the app Sober Grid, got into an Uber headed from his Los Angeles office to Santa Monica, California, and vanished.
He was missing for 18 months before a homeless man discovered his skeletal remains just 1,000 feet from where he was dropped off.
Abate said that he felt sick when he heard news that Yohanes was missing.
For months, Abate spread the word of Mann's disappearance through a Facebook group and TikTok posts.
The community that he founded played a pivotal role in finding Mann's body after one of "Beau's Angels" gave an anonymous tip that led officials to identify his remains.
In the wake of the tragedy, Abate advised Yohanes' family to avoid relying solely on police and instead work with as many agencies as possible.
"Building that network is probably the most important thing I believe we did in Beau's case," he said.
"People want to help, and the important thing is that they have to see this young man as a human being.
"They have to see these are real people. This could be someone's son. This could be someone's brother.
"When I realized that power of working with other people, that's when all sorts of miracles started to happen for us."
'DON'T WASTE TIME'
In these critical early days, Abate said it's important to track down neighbors who could have Ring camera footage, which is typically deleted after 30 days.
He also recommended contacting Crime Stoppers, an agency that can offer a cash reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the recovery of a missing person.
"Your brain will take you down the worst rabbit holes you could ever image," Abate said.
"It's bringing tears to my eyes even thinking about the thoughts I had to endure.
"You just naturally go down some pretty dark paths, and so what's helpful is having people help you with some of the work."
With Yohanes being separated from his ID, Abate recommended visiting hospitals and asking about any John Does that might be there.
"It's awful but must be done," he said.
'EXCITED ABOUT LIFE'
Friends and family voiced their disbelief over Yohanes' disappearance as he appeared to be his normal, motivated self before he vanished.
“He was one of the best engineers out of his class at Cornell. Very smart, bright individual," Yohanes' brother Yosief told NBC’s Dateline.
Yosief said that his younger sibling was very excited to be starting a job at Netflix.
The pair last spoke on August 13 for about an hour – the day before Yohanes was last seen.
Yosief told The Cornell Sun that during the call, he "viscerally" felt his brother's "killer confidence."
Yohanes' close friend Lucas Achkarian said that the missing man had plenty of energy and would regularly go to the gym after work.
"He's what every person should honestly strive to be," Achkarian said.
He added that he felt he could always go to Yohanes if he had an issue that needed solving.
SEARCH LAUNCHED
Yohanes’ parents have flown to California in a bid to find their son.
His mom Mehret Hana Beyene told KTVU: “He’s a good man who has a bright future, very loving to his family.”
Missing person posters have been put up in the area as part of the search.
And a GoFundMe launched to help fund the search has already raised more than $71,000.
The San Jose Police Department gave an update on the case on Monday night, writing: "SJPD 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."
Anyone with information is asked to call SJPD at 408-277-0531.
With the search gaining traction, Abate encouraged the family to never stop believing in miracles, even in their worst moments.
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"There will be days when you lose hope and there will be days where you're convinced that your loved one is alive," he said.
"But you have to have more of those days where you're convinced they're alive because that's what gives you the strength to do the work that you need to do to find them."
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