A 22-year-old University of Maryland student has vanished after leaving his Knox Road residence in the middle of the night, turning up on campus security cameras roughly half an hour later and then disappearing entirely. University of Maryland Police are now asking the public for help finding Dilan Shaan Ashar, whom they have classified as critically missing.
According to WJLA, Ashar was last seen leaving his residence around 2 a.m. on October 2 before surveillance cameras picked him up roughly 30 minutes later at Terrapin Trail Garage, also known as Lot 6, on the northern side of the College Park campus. Police say he is about 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighs around 185 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black University of Maryland hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and white shoes.
Ashar's parents met with University of Maryland Police around 9:23 a.m. that same morning in the 4300 block of Knox Road, telling officers they were concerned about their son, per the same report. Knox Road sits just south of campus and is a dense strip of student apartments, businesses, and nightlife venues bordering UMD's southern perimeter, according to a College Park student guide.
Two Agencies, One Search
University of Maryland Police and Prince George's County Police initially launched a joint search for Ashar, the station's report states. UMPD took the lead in the investigation once the university's Security Operations Center located camera footage establishing Ashar's latest known whereabouts at the garage.
That center operates around the clock out of the Pocomoke Building on Route 1, managing feeds from more than 500 exterior cameras and roughly 1,000 total cameras across the College Park campus, according to The Diamondback. Terrapin Trail Garage itself sits on the northern end of campus near the Xfinity Center, the School of Public Health, and the Eppley Recreation Center, per the University of Maryland Department of Transportation Services.
This is not the first time the garage has drawn a major police response. In April 2024, UMPD temporarily closed the facility for roughly three hours during an active death investigation before reopening it once officers confirmed there was no ongoing threat to campus, The Diamondback previously reported.
A Second Disappearance Within Weeks
Notably, this is not the first time Ashar has been reported missing this fall. The University of Maryland Police Department's official social media account indicates he was previously reported missing after last being seen on September 20 in the 4300 block of Knox Road — the same area where his parents later met with officers earlier this month.
Under Maryland law enforcement guidelines, an adult over 18 can be designated a critical missing adult if they are suspected to be a victim of foul play, suicidal, mentally deficient, or physically handicapped, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. Why Ashar received that designation in this case has not been detailed by police. Separately, Maryland Department of State Police guidelines require law enforcement agencies to accept missing person reports immediately, without any mandatory waiting period, and the state's Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons provides statewide coordination and public alert support for such investigations.
UMD also maintains a 24/7 Student Police Auxiliary escort service and a network of emergency Blue Light phones linked directly to UMPD dispatch, campus safety infrastructure designed for students moving around at night. Whether Ashar used any of those resources before he disappeared is unknown.
University of Maryland Police are asking anyone with information about Ashar's whereabouts to call 301-405-3555.
