A teen who went missing Saturday night has been found safe, Calgary police said on Sunday at 4 p.m.
The 17-year-old girl went missing at around 7 p.m. Saturday, after she left the Walmart at 255 East Hills Boulevard S.E.
Police said that around 10:50 a.m. on Sunday, the girl was spotted walking east on 16 Avenue N.W. from 14 Street N.W. That’s about 13 kilometres away from the Walmart.
A mobile command post was set up near the East Hills Shopping Centre on Sunday morning. Police said Calgary Search and Rescue was also called in to conduct a more detailed search of the area.
Sgt. Trent Petersen said the command post was set up because the teen girl has no history of going missing. There was nothing to indicate foul play, he added.
The girl’s family was concerned for her welfare, police said, as she is considered high risk and has a number of mental health and developmental conditions. Her mother said the teen functions at a nine-year-old’s level.
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“I think the thing that concerned me the most is she doesn’t really have the public ability to tell people where she’s at,” the teen’s mom said. “She’s very shy, she’s introverted so I guess what upset me all night, why I didn’t sleep, is my daughter would not know how to ask for support to get home.”
“It feels like forever that we’re out of the range where she should be home,” she added. “I think the hardest thing is knowing that my daughter is not near home, she’s not around the block, she’s out somewhere she’s never wandered or traced her steps before.”
The mother made a direct plea to her daughter.
“If you see this, we love you and you need to come home. We’re not upset, we are more hurt that you’re out there on your own. You need to just come home and know that we love you. Your whole family loves you very much.”
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