Danielle Friedland: Houston cops seek clues as mom-of-two last seen at airport after leaving Texas healthcare facility disappears

Danielle Friedland was scheduled to fly home to her husband and children in California but never made it onto her flight, setting off a frantic search effort
UPDATED NOV 29, 2023
Authorities stated that Danielle Friedland was last spotted at the Houston airport on November 23 after she checked in her luggage for a flight back home (Houston Police Department)
Authorities stated that Danielle Friedland was last spotted at the Houston airport on November 23 after she checked in her luggage for a flight back home (Houston Police Department)

HOUSTON, TEXAS: Houston police are desperately searching for Danielle Becker Friedland, a 36-year-old mother of two from Piedmont, California, who mysteriously disappeared after leaving a mental health treatment center in Houston last week, Daily Mail reports.

Friedland had spent the previous six weeks receiving care at the prestigious Menninger Clinic in Houston before being cleared for discharge the day before Thanksgiving.



 

California mom Danielle Friedland vanishes after leaving mental health facility

Danielle Friedland was scheduled to fly home to her husband and young children in California, but never made it onto her flight, setting off a frantic search effort by police and her loved ones.

Authorities say Friedland was last spotted at Houston's airport on November 23 after she checked her luggage for a flight back home. Surveillance footage shows the 5-foot-2, 100-pound woman wearing a blue and orange puffer jacket exiting the airport in an unknown taxi with $160 cash but without her phone, credit cards, or carry-on items.

She also took one debit card with her, but it has not been used since her disappearance.

(Houston Police Departments)
Danielle Friedland vanished after leaving a mental health facility in Texas (Houston Police Department)

Danielle Friedland's loved ones join search effort in Houston

Friedland's husband Jordan immediately flew from California to Texas to aid the search, saying it was his first time in the state. He told local station KHOU that there had been some unconfirmed sightings of his wife but no definitive information on her whereabouts.

"My biggest fear is honestly Dani's safety," Jordan said.

"One of the scariest things for me is that Dani doesn't know Houston. She doesn't have friends or family here. She doesn't have her luggage, her credit cards, her phone and I just can't imagine how scary that must be," he said.

The couple met 15 years ago as students at the University of Michigan and have two children, aged 2 and 5, together. "She's the best mom in the world and their world won't be the same without her," Jordan said tearfully.

Friends and other loved ones have also flown to Houston to search homeless camps and work with advocacy groups, churches, and community organizations for any clues.

On Tuesday, they combed an area near Memorial Park after a tip and intended to return there on Wednesday.



 

Menninger Clinic declines to provide information on Danielle Friedland's stay

The Menninger Clinic, where Friedland stayed for nearly two months before her disappearance, declined to provide any details on her time there, citing patient confidentiality.

“We are aware of the news coverage about this unfortunate event,” a clinic representative said. "Because of patient confidentiality, we cannot confirm the status of any patient or provide any information without patient consent. We are deeply saddened by this situation and our hearts go out to the family."

Houston police officials say they are doing everything possible to locate Friedland. They are reviewing airport surveillance footage, contacting local transportation companies and taxi services, and following up on potential sightings around the city, but have yet to achieve a significant break in the case.

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