Navy sailor Nija Townsend Jr. vanishes in San Diego, prompting investigation

A US Navy sailor failed to return to his ship in San Diego as his family and lieutenant claim it’s “very uncharacteristic” for him not to report back to duty.

Nija Townsend Jr., 20, was reported missing on Monday when he didn’t report for work on his ship, the USS Germantown, following his weekend leave, the sailor’s mother, Courtney Frazier, told NBC 7.

“The health and welfare of our Sailors is a top priority and we will continue to work with local authorities to help locate this service member,” Cdr. Arlo Abrahamson, Public Affairs Officer for Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, told the outlet.

The Lake Jackson, Texas native was last seen by ship personnel at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, Navy officials tell the outlet — saying they are now working closely with the San Diego Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to locate the vanished seaman.

The mother was first alerted that her son was missing after Crew members of Townsend had reportedly contacted her to see if she had any contact with her son.

Fearing the worst, Frazier said she attempted to file a police report on her own with the SDPD and with NCIS on Monday but was allegedly told, at the time, there were no indications of “foul play or imminent danger,” she revealed to Fox News.

“At what point does it become indicative of foul play or imminent danger?” Frazier asked Friday. “Wouldn’t it be better to be safe than sorry?”

Investigators allegedly refused her requests to ping his phone location, claiming they do not have the legal authority to do so, she shared with the outlet.

She attempted to ask his cellphone carrier, Verizon, to ping his phone but was told they could not track his location data without being requested by authorities.

However, a customer service representative for the phone carrier told her that Townson’s phone was turned on and 100% charged — though he hasn’t answered a call or used any data since vanishing last week.

The Post reached out to the SDPD for comment.

With a missing persons investigation underway, Townsend’s mother shared that a lieutenant told her that her son not reporting to his assigned duty was “very uncharacteristic.”

“His lieutenant said no he has not done this before, this is very out of character, and he always shows up for work,” the concerned mother told Fox News.

Frazier’s son frequently spent his time off at a Quality Inn location near where his ship docks, but when the worried mother went in person to see if her son had been at the hotel, they said he had not checked in this week, according to Fox News.

“We’re not getting any kind of answer that we need because we just don’t have any information,” Frazier told the outlet.

Townsend’s aunt, Cynthia Diaz Richardson, wrote on Facebook it’s “unlike” her nephew “not to report back to duty.”

“Anyone that knows him knows his character and that he is responsible and would NEVER just go missing without any word or without anyone knowing where he is at.”