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Police in New Mexico asking for public's help in locating missing man last seen in Payson

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Published  July 15, 2019 2:49pm MST
Missing Persons
FOX 10 Phoenix

PHOENIX - A man headed to Peoria from New Mexico hasn't been seen since the Fourth of July and now police are asking for the public's help after new leads developed.

Farmington police out of New Mexico posted surveillance photos of two men at a Home Depot. They say they used 44-year-old Craig Cavanaugh's credit cards the day after he went missing. Now, nine days later, his community is concerned.

Police say Cavanaugh left Farmington, New Mexico on the Fourth of July to head to a job site in Peoria. Since then, he's vanished. A source close to the investigation tells us Cavanaugh was at Mazatazal Hotel and Casino before his phone turned off. According to police, Cavanaugh drove a 2012 Toyota Tacoma with license plate 4FR5994.

"We were able to trace [Cavanaugh's] phone to Payson, but we haven't been able to trace it since," said Georgette Allen with the Farmington Police Department.

Now detectives are taking a closer look at two men seen on surveillance at a home depot in Glendale. Police say they used Cavanaugh's credit card here. They also made purchases with his card at a Maverick gas station in Payson, as well as a QuikTrip in Peoria between July 5 and July 7. Police are investigating how the two people at Home Depot could be involved in Cavanaugh's disappearance.

Craig Cavanaugh

"Right now, we're not ruling anything out," Allen said. "We got a few more tips that rolled in since posting, needing to identify the individuals using his credit cards. We're following up on those tips."

Cavanaugh is described as 5'11", 220 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Farmington Police's Facebook post on the two men of interest has been shared at least 15,000 times -- many of those by Arizonans trying to help.

"Since we've posted it last night, it's reached approximately 600,000 people," Allen said. "We appreciate everyone sharing it."

Anyone with information on Cavanaugh's whereabouts is asked to contact Detective K. Smith or H. Chaves at (505) 599-1005, FPD tip line at (505) 599-1068, or SJC Crime Stoppers at (505) 334-TIPS (8477) reference case # 19-47969.

Crime Stoppers
https://www.p3tips.com/