A Washington state mom says her daughter has been missing for more than two weeks after the teen began talking with an older man online, KING5 reports.
On January 6, Sarah Merrill reported to the Mount Vernon Police Department that she believed her daughter, 14-year-old Ella Jones, left their home voluntarily that morning or the prior evening.
“Since she left home, Ella has not made contact with family members or friends,” the police department wrote in a Facebook post. “Anytime a juvenile leaves home and ceases contact, it raises concern about their welfare.”
Sarah said Ella had been seen chatting with an older man on social media before her leaving, including at least one instance when the teen was allegedly talking with a man on the video chat website Omegle before it shuttered in November.
“A couple of kids did see her speaking to an adult male on a video on our computer,” Sarah told KING5.
***MISSING JUVENILE*** MOUNT VERNON, WA
The Mount Vernon Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 14-year-old juvenile. Ella Jones was last seen at her home in Mount Vernon, WA on the night of January 5, 2024. Ella’s mom saw her daughter in her room… pic.twitter.com/0sWbm7Fe9I— The AWARE Foundation (@aware_the) January 26, 2024
Sarah also had taken her daughter’s phone away temporarily on a previous occasion after the girl had conversations with a stranger. The girl’s friends allegedly told Ella’s mom that she was talking on Discord with a man believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s. However, the details from the friends varied, according to Fox News.
In an interview with KING5, Sarah added that her daughter had left a note prior to her leaving. But Sarah said it is not like Ella to have no communication with her loved ones.
“Something’s really wrong . . . I don’t think she can call me,” Sarah told KING5. “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.”
Mount Vernon Police Lt. Dave Shackleton said a detective and investigators from the department’s criminal investigations division are working to track down Ella.
“We are receiving a number of tips and are evaluating each of them on their own merits,” Shackleton told PEOPLE. “Those that do have substantive information that we can follow up on, we are.”
Police have not officially confirmed whether Ella’s disappearance is linked to her conversations with an older man online. However, authorities are forensically analyzing her electronics.
Ella is about 5-foot-5 and 130 pounds, with brown eyes, brown hair and what her mother described as “very distinct” dimples, according to MyNorthwest.com. Ella was last seen wearing multi-colored plaid pajama pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and black Nike Air Force shoes. She might also have been wearing a maroon puffer jacket.
To report information about Ella or her whereabouts, call Skagit County Dispatch at 360-428-3211.
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[Feature Photo: Ella Jones/Facebook]
