FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – It's been a big week for the investigation into Danielle Stislicki's disappearance, with police naming a person of interest who was arrested in a separate case.
Here's what we know so far.
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Stislicki missing for nearly 7 months
The 28-year-old Farmington Hills woman was last seen Dec. 2, 2016 when she was leaving her job at MetLife in Southfield.
Stislicki's Jeep Renegade was found parked outside her apartment on Halsted Road near Grand River Avenue in Farmington Hills, but she had disappeared. Police said her purse was still in the Jeep, but it's unclear if Stislicki or someone else parked it outside the apartment complex.
VIEW: Timeline in Danielle Stislicki missing case
"That particular day she was scheduled to work longer. And because things were a little slow she asked, after getting a request from a friend, whether or not it would be OK if she left early," said Stislicki's father, Richard Stislicki.
Ann Stislicki, Danielle's mother, said she thinks the final text message she sent to the friend is that she was able to get off work early and that she was going to "swing home real quick, pack a bag" and meet the friend at dinner.
Stislicki left work about 5 p.m. that day. However, she never showed up to dinner and did not communicate to her friend.
Berkley home searched
After more than two weeks with no sign of Stislicki, law enforcement searched a home in the 2900 block of Oxford Road in Berkley. Sources told Local 4 a mattress and other items were taken out of the home.
A former security guard who was contracted to work at the MetLife office where Stislicki worked lives at the Berkley home. The guard was not working at the office at the time of Stislicki's disappearance.
Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus released this statement:
"Farmington Hills detectives and members of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab were at a home in Berkley last night investigating the disappearance of Danielle Stislicki. Farmington Hills detectives and investigators from several other agencies have been involved in searches and the collection of evidence at numerous locations over the past three weeks. Detectives, evidence technicians and crime lab personnel from several law enforcement agencies have been working tirelessly and remain committed to finding Danielle and solving this case. The investigation has been progressing since day one. I understand a caring public and media are anxious for information. However, no information will be released regarding the specifics of the case in order to maintain the integrity of the investigation."
The Local 4 Defenders learned that the security guard hadn't been seen in Berkley since police searched the home.
Officers carried a mattress out of the home, and the Defenders learned that some floorboards were confiscated by authorities and sent off for testing. Sources told Local 4 that police also removed a car from the garage.
"It's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, and every day it seems like there's another piece that goes into the puzzle," Chief Nebus said.
Person of interest in custody
Livonia police arrested a man Tuesday in connection with a sexual assault at Hines Park, and sources told Local 4 he was linked by a previous DNA test to Stislicki's disappearance. He was named a person of interest.
Floyd Russell Galloway, 30, is charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct with intent to commit penetration, and assault with intent do great bodily harm by strangulation in connection to the attack on Sept 4, 2016.
Galloway is the former security guard at Stislicki's office who lives at the Berkley home that was searched.
Police are also investigating whether Galloway is linked to an Allen Park sexual assault case from June 10, 2017. Allen Park police believe the cases could be connected due to the similarities between sketches made based on descriptions from the victims.
Stislicki's parents open up
Rich and Anne Stislicki opened up about the case for the first time since Galloway was named a person of interest in their daughter's disappearance. They were careful with their words, but they hope this could be the break in the case they've been praying for.
Anne Stislicki said she couldn't sleep Tuesday night.
"No, you don't every time," she said. "Our biggest focus is to keep Danielle's name in the public, and you get yanked back again in the media frenzy."
A DNA test linked Galloway as a person of interest in Danielle Stislicki's disappearance.
"My initial reaction is scared," Anne Stislicki said. "The outcome of the description of the jogger could be the fate of my daughter, and my daughter didn't get a chance to get out and get help. It's also a reality, the bravery of this person to be strong enough to fight him off and come forward."
The Stislickis said there was a very important reason they didn't attend Galloway's arraignment on Wednesday.
"It's not about Danielle at this time," Rich Stislicki said. "There will be that moment, but this time it's about that person from Hines Park who made it out alive and was able to talk."
The Stislickis are well aware of who Galloway is.
"Floyd was very friendly and approachable to many, many people in that building," Anne Stislicki said. "Absolutely (I would talk to him). Floyd would watch many folks who would work late at night, would watch you walk to your car to make sure you were OK."
"I was happy they had somebody and they were going to take them temporarily off the street," Rich Stislicki said. "It's a direction -- move forward instead of moving behind."
"I always say Danielle's had boundaries and was graceful how she presented herself," Anne Stislicki said. "I do this with Danielle in mind. We need to remain graceful and focus. This is not a witch hunt. This will go through legal challenges the way it should be."
The Stislickis want to remind everything that the case is still open. They still need more tips, more people to come forward and to find their daughter.
Police are still trying to put together the final pieces to the investigation to uncover what happened to Stislicki and find out where she is.
Stay with Local 4 News and ClickOnDetroit.com for updates as the investigation continues.