Boyfriend of missing Cape Coral woman speaks

Reporter: Dannielle Garcia Writer: Drew Hill
Published: Updated:
gabriel pena and lauren dumolo

It has been three weeks since Lauren Dumolo was last seen. Her boyfriend, Gabriel Pena, spoke to WINK News about what he thinks happened to his girlfriend.

“I don’t think she left on her own because she would’ve taken at least some clothes … or her toothbrush or her makeup,” Pena said.

Pena recently was brought in by Cape Coral Police Department to take a polygraph test, and he claims that he passed. Police will not confirm this test result nor will they say if Pena is a suspect in Dumolo’s disappearance.

Pena, on the other hand simply misses his girlfriend and wants her to come home. “I’m worried. I’m worried and scared. Not scared because I didn’t do anything, but I’m just worried something really did happen.”

He says he last saw Lauren that Friday morning when he left for work. When he got home that evening, she was gone. He does have a theory about where she could’ve gone. “So my thing is that she went out with one of her friends. Her friend got her all messed up on drugs, and I don’t know what after that,” Pena said.

The police have deemed Dumolo’s disappearance suspicious. So far, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers has received a few tips but no substantial leads.

“At this point, everything attached to Lauren has been flagged, so, if she went and used her credit card or debit card somewhere, we would know that,” said Trish Routte with Crime Stoppers. “So, with every hour that passes every day that passes, it becomes a little more desperate to find out where she is.”

Lauren’s father Paul Dumolo thinks his daughter is still alive but fears that she’ll become another cold case. “The wondering part is probably the worst, you know. Even if the answer is bad at least, you have closure,” he said.

Paul does also recognize that there’s a possibility she could be gone forever but doesn’t want to let his mind go there.

Community members will be searching for Lauren 5 p.m. Saturday, and a Candleight Vigil for Lauren will be held at Four Freedoms Park in Cape Coral 7 p.m. Sunday.

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