Alabama family begs for help finding woman who vanished after hospital discharge
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The search is on for a Tallassee woman who went missing in Montgomery early Friday morning after being discharged from a hospital.
The Montgomery Police Department and the woman’s family are asking for the public’s help finding 41-year-old Crystal Collins.
Crystal’s family said she was admitted to Baptist South Hospital on Nov. 14 due to a kidney infection. Her husband, Jason Collins, said the hospital held her until Friday because she was having panic attacks.
Jason Collins said there were talks of moving his wife to Crossbridge Behavioral Health, Baptist’s mental health clinic, but she was discharged from the hospital around 3 a.m. Friday.
Jason Collins said a family friend was headed to the hospital Friday morning to pick her up, but when they arrived Crystal was nowhere to be found. She has not been seen since. The family said it is very out of character for her to disappear with no communication.
“She’s just a wonderful person and there is just no way that she just walked away and didn’t tell nobody,” Collins said. ”Her son, our son, needs her home bad. I need her home bad. We just want our mamma back. Please, if you know anything that can help, please report it to somebody.”
Crystal’s family said she is a former special education teacher and is loved by many in the community.
“She’s a wonderful mother, a great wife, a great friend if you knew her,” Collins said. “She just focused everything on being at home and taking care of her family, just being there for us.”
Crystal does not have a phone or vehicle. She is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall and approximately 260 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, pink pants, and flip flops.
WSFA 12 News reached out to Baptist Health for comment, which has since released a statement that says: “Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on this matter. As always though, if this does result in an investigation, we will of course cooperate fully with authorities and help in any way possible.”
Montgomery Police and CrimeStoppers are helping in this investigation. Anyone who sees her is asked to call MPD at 334-625-2832 or CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP or 1-833-AL1-STOP.
Jason Collins said police have told him they’re looking into gaining access to security cameras in the area where Crystal was last seen in an effort to advance the investigation.
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