Opelousas Man Goes Missing After Leaving for Work in Alabama; Family Pleads for Help

The family of a young Opelousas man is growing increasingly worried as they seek his whereabouts after he departed for a work assignment in Alabama and never returned home. Authorities are joining the search efforts, and the family is reaching out for assistance from the public.

According to KLFY News 10, Dijon Seraille, a 25-year-old resident of Opelousas, embarked on a journey in July to Opelika, Alabama, for a job opportunity. However, concerns arose when he failed to reunite with his cousin on Sunday, August 6th, as planned.

According to statements from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office, Seraille informed his grandmother of his intention to return home, but to their distress, he never made it back. The authorities in both Alabama and Evangeline Parish have now officially filed a missing person's report, and the investigation is intensifying.

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Ashley Thomas, Seraille's cousin, expressed the deep-rooted bond they share, growing up together like siblings. "We spent a lot of time together and when you grow up, you never think ok, my cousin is missing," Thomas shared, her voice reflecting the disbelief that such situations can touch close to home. "You see it on TV all the time. You just never think it's your real life, that it's happening."

Thomas revealed that the last known sighting of her cousin was on a fateful Sunday. Seraille's colleagues dropped him off at an Opelika bus station, where he had been stationed for work.

Irma Vallier, Seraille's grandmother, shared that a review of surveillance footage by an Opelika police officer had captured him boarding a bus. The bus followed a route with several stops before reaching Illinois, the designated location for him to meet a family member. However, he failed to make the rendezvous, leaving his family in a state of anguish. Adding to their distress, Seraille's phone has remained unanswered for the past week, only directing callers to voicemail.

"This is not like him," Thomas emphasized, highlighting Seraille's typical behavior. "If he's in trouble or if something is wrong with him, his first phone call would be to our grandmother. If he's in trouble, he'll always reach out to her, and nobody has heard from him at all."

Irma Vallier made a heartfelt appeal to her missing grandson: "Just call us. Let us know you're alright."

As the days turn into a tense waiting period, both Vallier and Thomas voiced their concerns over Seraille's safety. "We really just want him to come home, even if he doesn't want to come home," Thomas said. "Just let us know he's safe and that his family does love and care about him. He can give any one of us a phone call."

The family is urging anyone with information about Seraille's whereabouts to immediately contact either the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office or the Opelika Police Department in Alabama.

The search for Dijon Seraille continues, and we will update you with any new information we receive. In the meantime, see the full story at KLFY News 10.