A 14-year-old girl who had been missing for ten days was found safe by police on Monday, according to the Boulder Police Department.
Chloe Campbell was located at about 5:00 p.m. at a residence in Thornton, Colorado, which is approximately 21 miles southeast of Boulder, where she was last seen on September 30 before being located.
She was brought to a local hospital for medical evaluation with no apparent injuries and has since been reunited with her parents. Police noted that she and her family would have access to receiving the social support they may need.
Police stated preliminary evidence indicates she ran away from her family but are still investigating what occurred while she was missing.
“We are incredibly grateful for the partnership of state and federal agencies, who through a variety of investigative efforts, helped our detectives bring Chloe home,” stated Police Chief Maris Herold. “We are also appreciative of the outpouring of community and media interest in this case.”
The teen was reported missing on September 30 after being last seen at a Boulder High School football game.
Her family reported the teen missing on October 1; however, police did not issue a public notice of her disappearance until October 8.
Authorities became concerned for her safety, noting she had no access to money or medication.
While Chloe was missing, there were a number of reported sightings and anonymous social media activity regarding her whereabouts, according to police and her family.
At a press conference Monday evening, Boulder Deputy Police Chief Stephen Redfearn defended the department’s decision not to issue an Amber Alert, despite public calls to do so. He noted that there was no evidence to believe that Chloe was abducted.
Had Chloe remained missing after Monday evening, Boulder police would have issued a missing and endangered person alert to national media outlets.
Redfearn noted there were “indications that she was alive throughout the week” despite her taking “considerable steps” to avoid contact with law enforcement and her family.
He added that there is “no belief at this time that she was held against her will.” Redfearn also stated that it is too early in the investigation to note if there are any persons of interest involved in her ten-day disappearance.
While there were reports she was spotted with two men before her disappearance near Boulder High School, police believe they were not involved with her running away, according to the New York Post.
Redfearn told reporters Boulder detectives and the FBI worked together to track Chloe down after receiving new information on Monday that led to her whereabouts.
“Our department diligently addressed this case from the time we first became aware of it. The investigation was consistent with known best practices for runaway children,” said Redfearn. “We are relieved that Chloe has been found.”
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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