Police called to ‘incident’ allegedly involving Gabby Petito and fiance Brian Laundrie

Police have confirmed officers were called to an “incident” allegedly involving Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito just weeks before she was last seen.

Utah police in the US have confirmed that officers were called for an “incident” involving Brian Laundrie and missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito roughly two weeks before she was last seen and a month before she was officially reported missing.

Fox News exclusively revealed the new detail in the case of the missing woman, which has gripped the US and made international headlines.

“Our officers did respond to an incident involving Brian Laundrie and Gabrielle Petito on 12 August 2021 however, neither Brian or Gabrielle were the reporting party,” Moab Chief of Police Bret Edge told the news outlet on Tuesday local time.

“Officers conducted an investigation and determined that insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges.”

Additional details were not immediately available, and Mr Laundrie has not been charged with a crime or accused of playing a role in Ms Petito’s disappearance.

Police, however, in his home town of North Port, Florida, told Fox News that they want to speak with him about the case.

“I think anyone would assume that the possible last person to be around her is a person of interest to want to talk with,” a spokesman said. “However, there is no crime at this point.”

The couple were on a cross-country road trip together.

Meanwhile, the family of the missing Long Island, New York, woman have slammed her fiance for stonewalling police and refusing to say where he last saw the 22-year-old.

Her family’s statement came just hours after Mr Laundrie — who continues to dodge cops — broke his silence, saying through his lawyer that he would “remain in the background.”

Ms Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, and her father, Joe Petito, have both pleaded for her return.

“The Schmidt and Petito family are going through the worst moments of their lives,” according to the statement, posted on Twitter Tuesday by WNBC reporter Pei-Sze Cheng.

Nicole Schmidt breaks down during a press conference about her daughter, Gabby. Picture: CBS New York

“Brian is refusing to tell Gabby’s family where he last saw her,” their statement said. “Brian is also refusing to explain why he left Gabby all alone and drove her van to Florida. These are critical questions that require immediate answers.

James Schmidt stands with his stepdaughter, Gabby Petito, second from left.

“The Schmidt and Petito family beg the Laundrie family to not ‘remain in the background’ but to help find who Brian referred to as the love of his life,” the statement said.

Missing 22-year-old woman Gabby Petito with her fiance Brian Laundrie. Picture: Instagram

The pair were travelling across the US in a van after ditching their jobs and hitting the road. Picture: Instagram

The family added that they “implore” Mr Laundrie “to come forward and at least tell us if we are looking in the right area.”

Mr Laundrie and Ms Petito, who lived together in Florida, left on the coast-to-coast trip in July and were due to wrap up the trip at a friend’s home in Portland, Oregon, around Halloween.

But Mr Laundrie returned home to Florida in the 2012 Ford Transit van they were travelling in on Friday — without Ms Petito.

Missing 22-year-old woman Gabby Petito hasn’t been seen since August 25. Picture: Instagram

The pair together in 2020. Picture: Instagram

He has since hired a lawyer and refused to co-operate with police — who were also rebuffed by Mr Laundrie’s parents.

- with the New York Post