ALBANY, Vt. (AP) – A 29-year-old woman’s disappearance has prompted Vermont State Police to take a new and more intensive approach, assigning detectives to the search from the beginning.

“Usually the uniformed division would start on this and we would get called eventually; now we’ve stepped it up a little more,” said Lt. Leo Bachand of the state police.

The search for Tina Fontaine marks a change from when Brianna Maitland disappeared in separate incidents two years ago. The Sheldon resident was 17 when she disappeared in March of 2004. She has not been found.

“At this time we have no reason to suspect foul play other than she’s disappeared,” Bachand said of Fontaine. “We’re concerned about that but we’re tracking down all the leads that are coming in and interviewing as many people and friends as we can.”

Fontaine’s car was found in the driveway at her home. Authorities said the substitute teacher at North Country Union High School in Newport is seven weeks pregnant.

Fontaine’s boyfriend, Franky Niles, said the Northeast Kingdom native’s disappearance was completely out of character for her. He said he last saw her when he kissed her goodbye as he left the home they shared in Albany.

“She wouldn’t just up and leave, at least without letting somebody know,” Niles said. He added, “What’s going through my mind right now is everything. I feel useless. I fell helpless. There’s nothing I can do.”

Authorities said Fontaine was last seen buying cigarettes Friday at Bob’s Quick Stop in Irasburg.

The state police have been critized for being slow to get detectives involved in Maitland’s disappearance.

Bachand said they were jumping right in this time.

“We have more resources, more time we can devote, where the uniformed guys are more emergency response and they have other duties with traffic and other stuff,” he said. “We can commit our time and resources to a case by case basis, one case at a time.”