NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Dallas, TX, August 7, 2026: A Telugu-speaking woman who reportedly spent several days on a bench in downtown Dallas has been taken to a shelter after police intervened, even as members of the Indian-American community continue efforts to locate her family.
The woman, believed to be between 45 and 60 years old, has been identified in a widely circulated community flyer by the possible name Devbhakti Manogya. Her identity, however, has not been independently confirmed, and the flyer itself describes the name as based on local information.
According to the flyer, the woman had been staying on a bench for approximately four days near the court area in downtown Dallas, on Market Street between Commerce and Jackson streets. She was described by those who encountered her as appearing distressed.
The flyer initially stated that the woman spoke only Telugu and could not speak English. However, a video subsequently shared by the Instagram page Nris_Adda shows her speaking in English while lying on the bench.
She reportedly told people attempting to help her that her husband would come to pick her up and that she was waiting for him. The flyer also said she appeared familiar with the Plano and Frisco areas, prompting speculation that she or her relatives may have connections to the North Texas suburbs.
The case began circulating widely through Telugu and Indian community networks, with social media users appealing to anyone who recognized the woman to help locate her relatives.
In a later update, Nris_Adda said one of its followers went to the location to check on the woman and reported that police eventually arrived.
“The cops finally came,” the Instagram page said, citing the follower. According to the update, officers initially said they could not move the woman to a shelter unless she was willing to accept assistance.
“Thankfully, she cooperated with the officers, and they took her to a shelter,” the update said.
It was not immediately clear which shelter she was taken to or whether authorities have since identified or contacted her relatives.
The original community appeal asks anyone who recognizes the woman, knows of a family searching for a missing relative matching her description, or has other relevant information to contact the Dallas Police Department’s non-emergency line at (214) 671-4268.
The effort to find her family is continuing, with community members urging people in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Plano and Frisco areas, particularly within Telugu-speaking networks, to share her photograph and information.
