VANCOUVER, Wash. — Update: On April 26, a Vancouver Police spokesperson said the department's missing persons unit had closed its investigation into this case. The spokesperson said nobody was facing criminal charges and that "there is not an increased risk to the public." The spokesperson declined to provide more details when asked by KGW.
Original story:
A Vancouver mother is still wrapping her head around what happened to her daughter on Sunday.
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said it all started with her 17-year-old daughter walking to work at the Kitchen Table Café on Northeast 136th Avenue in Vancouver, Washington — a usual routine for the teen, according to the mother. But this time she did not make it to work.
"We checked several houses," the mother said. "We were calling and texting all of her friends and no one had an idea where she was or where she might be."
With concern mounting, she tracked her daughter's cell phone to some bushes near the restaurant. Along with the phone were some of the teen's belongings.
"Just the location, the condition they were in, it looked to me there might have been some sort of struggle," she said.
The mother, who works with crime victims for a living, called 911 immediately. Vancouver Police Department (VPD) quickly launched an investigation. They even notified the media that a teenager had disappeared under unusual circumstances.
About 10 agonizing hours later, the mother got a call from her daughter.
"Personally, I've never heard something that scary from someone I love. Inconsolable. It was clear something horrible happened to her," said the mother.
She said her daughter told her she was abducted just before walking into work Sunday morning. The teen told her mother she was driven to a Southeast Portland home where she spent hours.
"She was ordered to get back in the car and she had an opportunity," the mother said. "She saw an opportunity to escape and she did. And she ran for her life."
The teen eventually found refuge at a home in the area of Southeast 78th and Southeast Woodward Street, an area unfamiliar to her, police said.
"Super grateful," the mother said. "Extremely proud of her. She had to do what she had to do to survive."
It is unclear who took the teen, described by her mom as a good, quiet and hardworking kid. Why this happened is also a mystery.
"This happened in this community that we care about and kids need to be walking in groups," the mother said. "If a parent can drive them somewhere they need to be doing that."
Detectives with VPD are calling this a priority investigation. This means it is active and resources are being dedicated to it. Authorities have identified a 2000's model black sedan as a vehicle of interest. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact VPD.