KINGWOOD, Texas – The disappearances of seven teenage girls in less than two months have prompted a concerned parent to question the system that labels them "runaways."
Ira Kettles-Lemiska started a Facebook page to increase awareness about the girls, who all went missing near her Kingwood home.
Only one, Ali Lowitzer, has drawn much media attention. Lowitzer was last seen on April 26 getting off her school bus just feet from her home near Knotty Post Drive and Low Ridge Road in Spring.
Lowitzer, along with the other girls, have been labeled "runaways" by law enforcement officials, due to a lack of evidence of any foul play.
"The more involved I get, the more I’m hearing, ‘Oh no, they’re a teenager? Most likely, they’re a runaway.’ That’s just so not fair," said Kettles-Lemiska.
The Houston Police Department said it receives between 6,000 and 7,000 missing person reports a year. Most of them are runways.
HPD detectives said every call gets a missing person report opened, but to see if the teen is likely to be a runaway, they’ll check whether the teen took their cell phone or a change of clothes. Another question is whether that teen has a history of disappearance or criminal activity, and if he or she has used any social networking sites.
Law enforcement officials said having seven missing girls from the same area is not unusual. There are thousands of similar cases throughout the Houston area. The reality is, cases involving kidnapping or assault take priority and get more resources.
But that is small consolation to parents like Stacy Turner, whose 15-year-old daughter, Cynthia, disappeared from her grandmother’s northwest Houston home on April 12. She admits the teenager likely ran off, but that doesn’t make the ordeal any easier.
"Not knowing if she’s OK is the scariest part," she said. "They think that it was the child’s choice. But they’re just kids!"
Any parent who is worried about their missing child is urged to contact the Laura Recovery Center for Missing Children.
CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED!
FIND ANYTHING IN HOUSTON
No comments:
Post a Comment