A Houston, Texas, family is using every resource they have to locate a missing woman. Ashanti Allen was last seen and heard from by her family on April 10, 2026. That’s when she sent her mother a concerning text message that indicated she was disappearing of her own will. Her family believes, however, that she would never do such a thing, especially because she is eight months pregnant with her first child.
Allen has been enduring a high-risk pregnancy, and her family is extra concerned for her safety and the safety of her unborn child. Currently though, there are no leads, which makes things even more stressful.
She simply disappeared without a trace.
According to officials, Allen was last seen leaving her apartment on April 8, 2026, KPRC reported. She was reported missing on April 10 after her mother received a strange text from her.
Trisa Gaines Colbert said her daughter texted her, writing, “I’m leaving and never coming back.”
“That was suspicious to me, so when I saw that, I instantly went up to her apartment, knocked, and no one was there,” Colbert told the outlet. “I looked in the garage, and the vehicle was also missing.”
Colbert was able to gain access to her daughter’s apartment and found that her clothes and her unborn baby’s clothes were still there.
Surveillance footage from Allen’s building showed her and another person leaving her complex before she disappeared, KPRC reported. Investigators are unsure what exactly she was wearing when she disappeared.
It’s become an all hands on deck search mission.
The nonprofit volunteer search and recovery group Texas EquuSearch has joined efforts to find Allen. On April 13, it announced that it’s offering a $5,000 reward for any information about the woman and her whereabouts.
“Ashanti’s safety is highly concerning due to being 8 months pregnant and experiencing a high-risk pregnancy,” reads a social media post by the group. Allen’s family said that because of fainting spells, she had been using a wheelchair and struggling to walk.
“If you have any information pertaining to Allen’s current whereabouts, or have any information about her disappearance, please contact Houston Police Department at (832) 394-1840 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500,” the post added.
Allen’s family says her disappearance is out of character.
Colbert also spoke with KHOU about her daughter’s disappearance, telling them she “didn’t believe” the 23-year-old sent a text saying she wasn’t ever coming back.
In fact, the older woman said they were looking for a bigger apartment to live in. “We were just inquiring about the two bedrooms so the baby could have some room, stuff like that,” she told the outlet.
According to police, Allen was last seen in an SUV belonging to her mother. Although Colbert was able to track down the vehicle, her daughter wasn’t the one driving it. She said she didn’t get any straight answers from the person with her car about how they got it.
Right now, there are a lot of questions with no answers.
“We feel like she is in danger. She is not safe. Wherever she is, we don’t feel like she’s able to be safe,” Allen’s sister told KHOU.
Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller told the outlet that investigators don’t have any clear answers right now. “No evidence of foul play and no evidence she left on her own,” he shared.
Currently, teams are searching for Allen using ATVs and drones, but right now, Miller said the situation “Doesn’t look good.”
“Hope we can get her back alive. If something has happened, hope we can get her located,” he said.
All her family wants is for her to know that they only care about her safe return. “All we just want you to come home. If you are seeing this, all we want to know is you are ok,” her mother said.
