ALVIN, Texas — The husband of a missing Alvin woman is asking Southeast Texans for help in bringing her back home.
48-year-old Michelle Reynolds was last seen on September 22 by her family, but a photo taken on September 23 shows her walking south on Constance Street towards Pontchartrain Expressway in New Orleans.
The photo was released by Texas EquuSearch.
Her husband, Michael Reynolds, spoke to 12News. His mom lives in Orange and is from there.
In the photo, Reynolds was wearing what appears to be a blue jacket with a white, black and blue top with black leggings. She was wearing open-toe sandals and her hair was cut short and colored blonde. Texas EquuSearch said this was the exact clothing she was wearing when she was last seen.
Michelle Reynolds' car was found in New Orleans two days after Michael Reynolds said she left her Alvin home to get food and never returned.
Michael Reynolds knows there are many people in Beaumont with ties to New Orleans, so he's hoping maybe someone will come forward with information.
"All of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana is kind of one, right, from Beaumont and over. There's a lot of relatives, a lot of people," Michael Reynolds told 12News.
Michael Reynolds believes his wife is in a mental health crisis and may not remember where her car was parked.
"She's ill, she's probably confused. We just need her home," he said.
Michael Reynolds has heard many stories from people whose relatives have gone missing due to mental health struggles.
"Mental health crisis it happens often in our country and I don't think it gets enough publicity because it's kind of a stigma to have a mental health issue," he said.
Alvin ISD confirmed Michelle Reynolds is a district employee. She has been teaching sixth-grade language arts for eight years. She is currently a teacher at Fairview Junior High.
Michael Reynolds was able to use the geo-location device on her SUV to track it. He and her brother drove to New Orleans, where they found the vehicle with Michelle Reynold's personal items still inside.
"We were able to unlock the car and found that her personal items were still in the vehicle but she was not in the vehicle," Michael Reynolds told KHOU-11. "Her phone has not been used. Her phone was in the car. Her phone did have charge but it was turned off."
Law enforcement officers in two states are now on the case and trying to find the missing language arts teacher.
Her children are not handling the news well and neither are the students at the school where she has taught for eight years.
"My daughter is having a really tough time and so is my 13-year-old daughter and my 11-year-old son as well," Michael Reynolds said. "Please be on the lookout for Michelle. We love her and miss her dearly. We're doing everything we can to bring her home safe."
Texas EquuSearch sent a crew of volunteers to New Orleans last week to ramp up search efforts for Michelle Reynolds.
"My concern, it's pretty close to the Mississippi River," Founder of Texas EquuSearch Tim Miller. "I got a helicopter up. I just got the video back from about 20 miles along the river to see if she is in there. They didn’t come up with anything."
Reynolds is five feet, ten inches tall, and is described as having a thin build.
The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office said there is an active missing person case open and anyone with information about Reynolds' whereabouts is asked to call 979-864-2392 and reference case No. 2209-0540.