What to Know
- The 29-year-old Maine woman who vanished after getting into an SUV near a Times Square McDonald's Monday has been found safe in Queens, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
- Christine Hammontree hadn't been seen since she got into an SUV with a woman and two men outside a McDonald's around 2 a.m. Monday
- She was found at a hostel in Queens after police officials said she had been out drinking in the city; no foul play is suspected
A 29-year-old Maine woman who vanished after getting into an SUV near a Times Square McDonald's Monday has been found safe in Queens, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
Christine Hammontree was being taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to two police officials. They said she had been out drinking in the city for a few days, and took an Uber to a hostel in Queens. No foul play is suspected.
Police sources previously told News 4 that Hammontree, of Falmouth, came to the city to see her boyfriend, but her mother Judy told News 4 Friday that the boyfriend was out of town last weekend. Judy Hammontree had been walking the streets of Times Square and Long Island City, where her daughter lived for two years, looking for her. She said she and her daughter "never go a day" without texting, which is what sparked the concern.
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Earlier in the day, her mother said she feared her daughter could be in "grave danger," but that does not appear to have been the case.
Before she was found on Friday, police say Hammontree was last seen outside a McDonald's at the intersection of West 45th Street and Seventh Avenue around 2 a.m. Monday when she got into an SUV with a woman and two men from the fast-food restaurant. It was not immediately clear if the SUV was the Uber she took to the hostel, or if she got a ride and then caught an Uber later on during her night and early morning out.
Judy Hammontree said she also doesn't know why her daughter was in Times Square in the first place. She said her daughter hated that spot because it's a tourist magnet.
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Sources with knowledge of the investigation had told News 4 there is video of Christine Hammontree interacting with people at McDonald's while drinking nutcracker cocktails (hard liquor with fruit juice). Judy Hammontree says she didn't recognize any of the people in the photo and neither do Christine's friends.
"Christine just started a new job that she was very excited about. She hasn’t worked and has not been in touch with any family or friends which has never happened in the past," a statement released by her family Friday said in part.
