SEATTLE — A Mount Vernon teen's mother took to Seattle in hopes of locating her 14-year-old daughter who was last seen on Jan. 6.
The mother told the Mount Vernon Police Department that her daughter voluntarily left their home sometime that morning or sometime the previous evening.
The teen's mother spent her Sunday afternoon walking around Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill posting fliers of her daughter.
The mom of three said she believes that her 14-year-old daughter was speaking with someone over social media.
"A couple of kids did see her speaking to an adult male on a video on our computer," she said.
She said her daughter reportedly met adult male on a social platform called Omegle, which gained popularity among teens during the COVID-19 pandemic. The site shut down in November.
"It's like a roulette," she said. "It just matches you with random people.”
The teen's mother told KING 5 that many people on social media have rallied around her family by sharing her online flier asking people to report any helpful information on her whereabouts to police. She has been combing through messages of concern.
"Another woman may or may not have seen her on a bus from Everett to Seattle, which is why we're in Seattle today just trying to put up fliers," she said.
"Something's really wrong... I don't think she can call me," she continued. "She has not ever run away. We are very close. There was also not like a fight, and, 'I hate you mom, and I run away' kind of a situation… she wrote a note saying she loved me and that she didn't want to hurt us anymore.”
She said she has dealt with many difficult, sleepless nights since her daughter left without telling her where she went.
"The only thing I do know for sure is she had been talking to a man online," said the teen's mom.
As she taped up more fliers, she said, "I'm more emotional sitting home. And so I really want to have my boots on the ground.”
Despite the contents of the note, the teen's mother said she strongly believes this was not a mental health crisis her daughter was having. Rather, she feels it was a grooming situation, where her daughter was influenced by somebody else.
"As tips are coming in, we are evaluating each of those on their own merits," said Lt. David Shackleton, Mount Vernon Police Department.
However, they did share tips for online safety.
"The internet’s great for a lot of things, but it can also be a dangerous place, especially for kids," said Shackleton.
Shackleton urged parents to tighten their kids’ privacy settings, especially on the apps that allow you to enable your location setting. His message for teens?
"If something feels wrong, it probably is," said Shackleton. "And if you get that feeling, make sure you tell your parents or another trusted adult what’s going on.”
Mount Vernon Police Department investigators continue to be in communication with the teen's mom, according to Shackleton, and investigators are following up on information as they receive it.
"Anytime a juvenile leaves home and ceases contact, it raises concern about their welfare," said Shackleton.
