PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — UPDATE: The Paulding County Sheriff's office says that Zululaga has been found and it has been ruled a suicide.
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ORIGINAL STORY: Deputies in Paulding County are looking for a man who they said has been missing since New Year's Day.
According to Sgt. Ashley Henson of the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, 20-year-old Sean Zululaga left his home in the Seven Hills community at about 12 noon on Jan. 1 after telling his mother he had a flat tire that needed to be repaired.
Henson said that a short time later, Zululaga contacted his mother via text message asking for money to help with the repairs.
During the investigation, Henson said that deputies were able to determine that Zululaga got gas at a nearby gas station before going to Cartersville, Ga.
The investigation indicates that his vehicle was observed re-entering the Seven Hills community shortly before 4 p.m. However, according to Henson, Zululaga did not return home on the evening of January 1 and has not been seen or heard from since.
Henson said that Zululaga did not show up for work on January 2, which reportedly is not characteristic for him.
Zululaga's employer contacted his family to inquire about his absence. At that point, Henson said, the family contacted authorities to report him as a missing person.
No foul play is suspected in his disappearance, Henson said, but detectives along with family members are deeply concerned for his well-being and safety.
According to Henson, the location of Zululaga's cell phone was determined to be in the Seven Hills area of Paulding County, where it remained for about four days before the phone either died or was otherwise powered off.
Henson said that law enforcement officials searched the area of the last known location of the cell phone on foot as well as on ATV. In addition, detectives have requested the assistance of the Georgia State Patrol's Aviation Division in order to search the area via helicopter without success.
Zululaga is described as a white male, standing about 5-feet, 11-inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He was last known to be driving a silver 2008 Mazda 3 with Georgia license tag number CPM 7597.
Anyone with information about Sean Zululaga or his whereabouts or any other information that may be of assistance is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division of the Paulding County Sheriff's Office at 770-443-3015.
Anonymous tips may be submitted through the Paulding Sheriff app, which is available through the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store for smartphones and mobile devices.