As some 30 police officers, search dogs and drones fanned out in southern Utah to search for Michael Cavallari, investigators examined whether his disappearance was linked to his recent arrest on charges of menacing a woman with a shotgun.
Michael — the brother of reality TV star Kristin Cavallari and brother-in-law of her husband, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler — was arrested in Southern California four days before his 2014 Honda Civic was found abandoned on Nov. 27 with the engine running and the airbag deployed, about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City.
He was bailed out on Nov. 25, and authorities are considering the possibility that Michael deliberately disappeared.
“It’s like he just vanished. It could be that he’s hurt and missing, or that he doesn’t want to be found,” said Grand County (Utah) Sheriff Steven White.
The sheriff sent two deputies to investigate Michael’s Nov. 23 arrest outside Dana Point City Hall, in Orange County, Calif.
According to a police report, Michael was taken into custody after a woman called the sheriff’s department to say he was outside her apartment with a shotgun. Responding police reported smelling alcohol on Michael’s breath, and he acknowledged having a loaded shotgun in his trunk, the report said.
On Monday, Kristin posted a message to Instagram thanking people for their support.
“We remain hopeful,” she wrote, “and I will share any news that we receive.”
