A teenage girl who mysteriously vanished from her home in the middle of the night left with only a few items stuffed into a backpack – and not a word about where she was going.
Sunnie Nguyen, a ‘shy’ 17-year-old who struggles with speaking English, is one of five Vietnamese exchange students who have mysteriously vanished from Adelaide in recent weeks.
The Year 11 student, who has been missing for four days, had dinner with her host family at their South Plympton home, in the city’s inner south-west, around 7pm on Monday before retiring to her room.
But when her host-mother May Zervaas went to check her room around 11pm, Sunnie was gone – along with her backpack, laptop, a few important ID documents, and some clothes.
Her phone has also been switched off and her social media accounts have since been deleted.
Sunnie Nguyen, 17, (pictured) vanished from her host family’s South Plympton home four days ago
‘I have been sitting next to my phone all night anxiously waiting for a call,’ Ms Zervaas’ daughter Mary told Daily Mail .
‘We are very worried. Her English isn’t very fluent and she usually relies on someone to translate. She is going to struggle alone.
‘She had five bags here at home, but she only left with one. Her two pairs of shoes are gone, but her wardrobe and dresser still have her clothes in them.
‘She has her important stuff like her laptop and passport, which we think she takes with her usually to use as a form of valid ID, and some clothes. But she left everything else here, including all of her medication – which is quite important.’
Like Sunnie, the other missing teenagers are believed to also attend Hamilton Secondary College in Mitchell Park, Adelaide.
They disappeared at different times, with one not heard from in around a month, though another student did show up again this week.
Like many teenage girls, Sunnie loves singing, dancing, spending time with friends, and – of course – pop star Taylor Swift.
Over the past six months she has lived with the Zervaas family, she has built a routine of going to school, returning home for dinner, then spending her evening laughing, dancing and making videos with the family’s two other exchange students.
Mary said Sunnie, who still has three years left on her study visa, seemed happy and they do not believe she has run away because she got on well with the family.
Now, May, Mary, the two other girls, and Sunnie’s bestfriend – who moved into the Zervaas’ home on Thursday – are all devastated, shocked and confused by her disappearance as everything in her life seemed ‘completely normal’.
There are growing fears for safety of several Vietnamese exchange students who have disappeared in recent weeks in South . Pictured: Sunnie
Authorities are working to contact Sunnie’s family in Vietnam, but have not been able to reach them so far, Mary said.
The Zervaas family have also been in contact with Sunnie’s school friends, but she has not reached out to any of them since her phone was disconnected and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok accounts shut down.
Mary said there were no signs of forced entry into the home and the rest of Sunnie’s belongings, aside from the missing items, remain in her room untouched.
Sunnie has a bank account with access to money but the Zervaas family do not know if any withdrawals or transactions have been made since Monday.
At this stage, they do not know if Sunnie was friends or associated with the other students who also vanished.
A Vietnamese community leader in Adelaide said the five missing students may have travelled interstate.
‘I hope that this is a case of, because of school holidays, kids, 17 years old, want to get together to go somewhere and not (tell) anyone,’ said Lien Nguyen-Navas of the Vietnamese Womens Association.
‘I hope that was the case.’
The South n police acknowledged in a statement that the teenagers had been reported missing in December and January.
‘All lines of inquiries in the investigations indicate that some of these youths may have travelled interstate and still remain there,’ a police spokesman said.
‘There is nothing currently identified in any investigation that would indicate these youths are in immediate danger.
‘SA Police are working with interstate policing counterparts to help locate these youths.’
Sunnie is described as ‘very kind’ but very shy
The Zervaas family hope if Sunnie sees this story, she will get into contact and let them know she is okay.
Mary said Sunnie has a ‘very pure heart’ and is ‘kind’ but they are extremely concerned for her welfare as she is super shy and has language difficulties.
‘She has come out of her shell with the students here and with us, but when we go out in public, she is still gets other people to talk for her,’ she said.
‘When she first arrived, if she went out alone she would come home almost instantly because she couldn’t speak English.
‘We have tried our best to teach her English and encourage her talking in English at home. She has improved a lot but not enough to get by.’
Sunnie is known to frequent Adelaide’s CBD, Marion, and South Plympton.
Anyone with information is urged to contact SA Police on 131 444 using report number 2400009568.
May Zervaas (left) and her daughter Mary (right) are concerned for the safety of missing Sunnie Nguyen, who was staying with them while studying in Adelaide