Family of Southwest Philadelphia man missing for more than a month desperate for answers

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police say they are working around the clock to piece together what happened to 48-year-old Dustin Ali.

Ali was last seen around 5 p.m. on December 21 in the 1500 block of South 55th Street in Southwest Philadelphia.

Since then, his family says there has been no contact, something they describe as deeply out of character.

"This has been extremely hard. I have no clue where he could be," said his mother, Alberta Webb.

Webb says she and her spoke on the phone every single day. When she stopped hearing from him, she immediately knew something was wrong.

What she found at his home only deepened her concern.

"His house was open with the dog in it, his ID was on the bed, wallet, everything. Everything except his phone," Webb said.

Police say, at this point, there is no confirmed evidence of foul play or criminal activity, but they are not ruling anything out as the investigation continues.

Ali's daughter, Kiswya Ali, says the uncertainty has been overwhelming.

"I miss him like every single day. He's literally like my best friend," she said.

Ali is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and approximately 170 pounds. He runs his own contracting business and is active in his mosque, known as a man deeply rooted in his community.

His disappearance has meant missing important milestones, including a recent achievement for his daughter.

"I recently just got my degrees in the mail, and he would have been so excited about that, and I miss him a lot. If he sees this, please come home," she said.

She says each day feels like a nightmare as the family waits for answers.

"It's terrible. Every single day I wake up hoping that I'm getting a call from the detectives or anyone that has seen him."

Police are asking for the public's help. Anyone who believes they have seen Dustin Ali or has information about his whereabouts is urged to contact authorities immediately.

For his family, every second matters.