Vigil Candles Instead of Birthday Candles for Missing California Nurse

April 30, 2010— -- The family of Bichphuong Le will mark a somber birthday for the hardworking 25-year-old nursing student today. Rather than lighting candles on a birthday cake, Le's friends and family will be lighting candles at a vigil for Le, missing since last Sunday.

The vigil will take place on the grounds of the Solano College campus in Fairfield, Calif., as the search for Le continues.

"We're really sure somebody kidnapped her," Le's brother, Dinh told ABC News today.

According to Dinh, 31, his sister left her house where she lives with her family around 5 p.m. last Sunday night to go to the Barnes & Noble Bookstore near her house.

"She usually goes to the Barnes & Noble to study and relax," Le said.

Le said his sister, called Phuong by her family, was upset when she left the house following a minor dispute with another sibling but it was nothing to cause them to think she would harm herself.

"She left mad, but it was no problem at all. She was OK," he said.

"She would never have done anything to herself, she loved her family," said Le.

His sister had in fact just passed the NCLEX test to get her nursing license and was planning a big celebration today with her family.

"She just got her license about two weeks ago. She was really happy about that. Our family was planning to give her a big party today for her birthday and getting her license," Le said.

Phuong Le usually returned home from Barnes & Noble before midnight, and when she didn't her other brother Hong went to Barnes & Noble looking for her. Hong found the car with all the doors open, windows down and her belongings in the car.

The Fairfield and Suisun City police are now working on the case jointly, and have issued a nationwide missing persons report.

Police confirmed that Le had been at the bookstore between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. the night she disappeared, and so far there are no leads involving anyone who wished to cause Le harm. The family said she was not involved with any boyfriends.

Lt. Darrin Moody of the Fairfield police said in a press conference Thursday that it was unclear whether Le vanished on her own or was kidnapped.

"We're exploring both avenues," Moody said.

"We're just trying to find her," he said, adding that they would search until she was found.