Pastor Says Missing 14-Y-O Daughter May Have Run Off With 'Someone She Must Have Met Online'
A pastor from Universal City, Texas, is now pleading for the return of his missing 14-year-old adopted daughter he says may have run off with the help of "someone she must have met online."
Pastor David Lindow Jr., of First Baptist Church of Universal City revealed in a video posted to YouTube Tuesday that his youngest daughter MiKayla made good on a threat she made earlier to leave the family home after she was disciplined for "inappropriate" behavior online.
"She's threatened to do this due to some of the disciplinary actions that have been taken due to her inappropriate activity on the internet and with her phone and just some other inappropriate behavior," Lindow said.
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"At about 10:15 last night (Monday), I went up to go to bed and went on to check on her and she was gone, some of her things were gone, and so apparently she has been in contact with someone that has assisted her in leaving," Lindow said.
He said she was last seen wearing a pair of "dark-blue jeans with a peachy pink hoody."
The church's website said Lindow and his wife, Lisa, adopted MiKayla and another girl named Kalli.
Nearly 30 hours since his daughter went missing on Wednesday morning, the pastor renewed his called for help in finding MiKayla in another video on YouTube.
"This is a picture of my daughter MiKayla who went missing on Monday night. It's about 30 hours now since she went missing and we have had no contact, no information concerning her whereabouts," Lindow bemoaned.
"She left on her own free will on Monday night without our knowing it with the assistance of someone she must have met online. We're grateful for all the help that people have been giving. Sending it out far and wide trying to get some information concerning her. And I just want to keep it before you, if anyone has any knowledge of Mikayla's whereabouts please contact us," he said.
He then pleaded directly to his daughter: "Mikayla, if you happen to see this. Please contact someone to let us know if you're alright. If you need to come home, you know you can come home. Contact me, I'll come and get you wherever you are."
Lindow and his wife told KENS 5 that MiKayla doesn't have her phone and suggested she might be in danger.
"She doesn't run off with friends. She doesn't sleep over with anyone else. That's just not a part of anything she does and so she's got to be with someone she has very limited knowledge of [who] they are," Lindow said.
The Heidi Search Center which is trying to help the pastor find his daughter told Kens5 runaway teenagers is a common problem and they were hoping to locate MiKayla before it was too late.
"A few years ago you only had to worry about content online. Now you have to worry about anyone in the world [who] can contact your child and it's like giving the key to the front door," Heidi Search Center executive director Dottie Laster said.
"By now, 24 hours, who knows where she could be? She could be across the country in Canada, or Mexico," Lindow added.
The family has filed a police report with the Cibolo Police Department and met with a detective according to Kens5.
Mikayla is about 5'2" and 110 lbs. Any with information that can help to reunite her with her family is being asked to contact the Cibolo police or call 210-334-7120.
