TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — The Tama County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help locating a missing man, officials said Tuesday. 

22-year-old Nicholas Collins was last seen or heard from on Dec. 19. Collins left his home in Garwin that day and was believed to be driving to Gladbrook, the sheriff’s office said. He left a note saying he was “going away for a while.” 

Collins’ car, a 2012 mini cooper, was later picked up by license plate readers in southern Missouri. He has had no contact with his family or officials, and his phone appears to have had no service since Dec. 19. 

“When we were first notified, there was no reason to believe Nicholas was in danger,” Sheriff Casey Schmidt said in a release. “He is an adult and can make his own choices. However, after Christmas passed with no communication, his family became very concerned. The longer there is no contact with Nicholas, the more concerned his family and law enforcement become.” 

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Tama County Sheriff’s Office at 641-484-3760.