Mystery as Domino’s Pizza Delivery Man Goes Missing

The family of a Domino’s pizza delivery driver say they are “confused” and “scared” after Shuefaub Xiong vanished midway through a shift.

Xiong’s disappearance in Apple Valley, Minnesota, almost a week ago is extremely out of character, particularly because the 42-year-old is such a reliable worker, relatives say. And their fear has been compounded after receiving a mysterious phone call from a stranger’s phone on the night he went missing.

Detectives say they are investigating the case and Newsweek has reached out to Apple Valley Police Department seeking further information. Newsweek has also emailed representatives for Domino’s seeking comment, although an immediate response was not expected as it was outside usual working hours.

Why It Matters

As the days have passed without word from Xiong, his increasingly worried family fear he may have come to harm. It has now been almost a week since the deliveryman vanished while delivering orders last Tuesday and the family have promised a $20,000 reward for his safe return.

The organization Missing People in America (MIPA) has also publicized details about the case and shared Xiong’s photo on social media site X (formerly Twitter):

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), some 600,000 people go missing in the U.S. every year. Analysis of missing adults over the age of 21 by number-crunching website Statista revealed that 102,368 men and 64,956 women went missing in 2022 (the most recent year for which figures are available).

What To Know

Xiong, known as “Shue” to friends and family, arrived at work as usual at about 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 14, and he left the Apple Valley Domino’s not long afterward to begin his shift delivering food. He had four deliveries to make.

But the alarm was raised when “the customers all called back notifying Domino’s that they never their received their orders,” Xiong’s sister Nischa Xiong told ABC News on Sunday.

The mystery only deepened when another sibling, a brother, reportedly received a call from an unknown number at about 6.45 p.m. on the night Xiong disappeared. “He did not pick up at that time; he thought it might be a spam call,” Nischa Xiong said. But when the brother eventually called the number back, a stranger answered and claimed to have had an encounter with Xiong in the parking lot of a Target in Richfield.

“The person that picked up said that my brother approached him in his vehicle, knocked on the window, and asked to use his phone,” Nischa Xiong said. “After three rings, [he] said [the other brother] didn’t pick up so my brother was just like, ‘forget it,’ and supposedly got into his vehicle and left.”

Xiong’s family have been handing out flyers bearing his photo on the streets and have told reporters they are now offering a $20,000 reward for his safe return.

Apple Valley Police Department revealed that officers have traced Xiong’s likely route between the four pizza drop-off addresses and could not find Xiong or his vehicle. They appealed to the public for help locating him on Thursday, saying: “Xiong is an Asian male, 5’8″ tall, weighing 215 lbs with brown hair and eyes[…] He was driving a red Toyota Camry with Minnesota plate CWT-545.” They also shared a photograph of Xiong on Facebook:

Officers released and update on Friday saying: “The Apple Valley Police Department has confirmed the last known sighting of Xiong was at the Richfield Target on 1/14/25. It is also believed Xiong was in Golden Valley after leaving his job at Domino’s in Apple Valley on 1/14/25.

“Investigation into his phone location, bank records, and known social media accounts have not provided any new information. We have not received any reports of sightings of him or his vehicle since he was last seen in Richfield.”

Anyone with information about Xiong or his whereabouts is urged to call police on (952) 953-2700.

What People Are Saying

Xiong’s sister Nischa Xiong told ABC News on Sunday: “We’re lost, we’re confused, we’re scared, we hope that he is OK.”

Apple Valley Police Department said: “Our investigation remains active as we continue gathering additional information.”

What Happens Next

Xiong’s anxious family will continue to hope for news as the search continues.