Missing Virginia student spotted in Poplar Bluff

This image is part of flyer released by the Aware Foundation of Virginia seeking information on Johnny Roop.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — A missing college student from Virginia was spotted at the Poplar Bluff Starbucks on Wednesday afternoon.

Johnny Roop, a Virginia Tech student who went missing last week, was briefly tracked to the Starbucks at 1337 N. Westwood Blvd., said Capt. David Sutton of the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department of Virginia “tracked him down through social media or something to that Starbucks. By the time we got there, he was gone,” Sutton explained.

The server identified Roop to police. Roop reportedly arrived and left alone.

“He is still technically a missing person. He was alone, and didn’t seem to be in any duress. We’re still looking for him to confirm he’s in good health and doesn’t need any help from us,” Sutton said.

Roop is 20-year-old male with hazel eyes and blonde hair, which has a white streak in the front. He is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs between 230-240 lbs. He drives a black 2018 Toyota Camry with a Virginia license plate reading TXW6643. It has a Virginia Tech sticker in the back window.

Sutton urges anyone who sees him to contact the nearest law enforcement agency.

Roop is a senior at VT’s business school and studying financial planning. He was last seen at his apartment complex in the Merrimac area of Montgomery County, Virginia on Feb. 16. His phone pinged near the Uptown Christiansburg Mall at 4:26 p.m. later that same day. The Aware Foundation of Virginia reported Roop was traveling to his parent’s home in Abingdon, Virginia, to take an online exam by 5 p.m., but never arrived.

Roop’s mother Veronica Widener told ABC News the disappearance is “totally out of his nature,” and the family is worried for his mental health.

“We have received no information leading us to believe that he is in immediate danger; however, due to the fact that Mr. Roop appears to be acting outside of his normal behavior, we would like to make contact with him to confirm that he is indeed ok,” the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.