The 15-year-old’s family had distributed flyers to the community to help bring her safely home. She was located Sunday evening.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATE: The girl has been found safe. Due to her age and for the family’s privacy, her name has been removed from the below article.
A Jacksonville family is desperately searching for their 15-year-old daughter, who has been missing since Friday.
Her father says she has never disappeared for this length of time before, making the situation especially alarming for their family.
According to him, she was last heard from Friday afternoon after her mother called her and discovered she was no longer at their Westside home.
A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the case is being investigated as a runaway case, but her father said she would “never ‘not’ come home.”
The father said his daughter reportedly told her mother she was “coming home,” but she never returned. Family members have been working around the clock to find answers.
“We barely sleep, we barely do anything,” he said. “I just need to know she’s alive.”
The family says the 15-year-old’s phone is turned off or inaccessible, making it difficult to track her location.
Family members have spent the weekend distributing flyers, knocking on doors and following up on reported sightings. One possible sighting was reported at The Avenues, but the family has not been able to confirm whether it was her.
The father described her as an honor student, active in her church’s media ministry, involved in community service through a local youth organization and passionate about helping others.
“She’s bubbly. She’s a great big sister. She cares deeply about people,” he said. “But she’s also trusting, and I’m worried someone may have convinced her not to come home.”
As the search continues, the family is asking anyone who may have seen her or has information about her whereabouts to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office immediately.
“We just want her home,” her father said. “I just need to know my daughter is safe.”
Anyone with information about the 15-year-old’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or First Coast Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS (8477).