Gena Chiodo, a hairdresser, has not been seen since last Saturday, according to authorities. Police say they now expect foul play in her disappearance, and the case is a criminal investigation.
Friends organized a search Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus in Lansing, Ill., to discuss where exactly to look, and the public is invited to volunteer.
Police scheduled a separate search party at 9:15 a.m. at the old River Oaks Ford in Calumet City.
Members of the public interested in helping the search were invited to participate.
Officers remained at Gena Chiodo's house in the 1300-block of Price Thursday and Friday gathering evidence and going in and out of the home.
Police have not said if they suspect any foul play in the case, but Chiodo's keys were found inside her house.
Michelle Mack, Chiodo's former roommate and close friend, said that Chiodo would never just disappear for no reason. The last time Mack saw her former roommate and close friend was about a month ago.
"I just know there's no good end because we all know her as a person," Mack told ABC7. "She's not confrontational at all, very happy, bubbly, she would have contacted somebody."
Chiodo's next door neighbor says there has never been trouble at the house, but she did notice that the cars belonging to the Chiodo and her boyfriend sat in the driveway for several days.
"I thought, 'I wonder why he is not working or why she isn't going to work,' you know, and I said, 'Well maybe he got laid off,'" said neighbor Barbara Kolanowski.
All the police activity in and around Chiodo's home troubles some people who live in the neighborhood. They are especially concerned about the well-being of their neighbor.
"She is quiet, keeps to herself. She has only been there two years, haven't seen her lately, though," said one neighbor.
The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is helping Calumet City police. Task force investigators have been searching the home for clues into Chiodo's disappearance.
Friends say Chiodo lives in the home with her boyfriend, and at least some neighbors say they haven't seen him around in a few days.
"I hope everything is OK," said one neighbor.
Chiodo. is 5' 4", weighs 145 pounds and has brown eyes and blond hair. Anyone with information is asked to call the Calumet City Police Department or the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.
