Police searching for missing Ottawa teenager last seen Saturday
Update: The Ottawa Police Department said Thursday that Aliyah Hardridge has been safely located and is no longer a missing runaway.
The Ottawa Police Department is seeking help from the public with finding a missing teenage girl who went out for a walk Saturday afternoon and never returned home.
Aliyah Hardridge, 15, was last seen by family on June 13 in the 700 block of East Garfield Street in Ottawa, Kansas. In the days since she went missing, police have sought assistance from other law enforcement agencies, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and tracked her cellphone to the St. Louis area.
The department’s detectives have been in contact with authorities in Kansas City and Norfolk, Virginia, along with the FBI as they are investigating potential leads, Ottawa Police Chief Adam Weingartner said in a statement Wednesday.
“If any of her friends know of her whereabouts or have any idea who she may be with, please tell us,” the chief said. “All we want to do is locate Aliyah for her family. We need their help as they are our best chance to learn where she may have gone.”
The last place authorities were able to track Hardridge’s cellphone was somewhere near Interstate 70 in Highland, Illinois. They are unable to track the phone currently because it was likely turned off or ran out of battery, police said.
The department is encouraging anyone with information of her whereabouts to call 911 immediately.
This story was originally published June 16, 2021 at 5:33 PM.
