Manhattan Beach police turn to social media in search for teen girl
Manhattan Beach police say that despite search efforts, there is no evidence of foul play after a local 14-year-old girl was reported missing over the weekend.
Leah Kritzer was reported missing Sunday after she went out to walk a dog.
A couple hours later, “a local resident actually called the family saying, are they missing the dog?,” said Manhattan Beach Police Sgt. Paul Ford, adding that Leah was not with the canine and that “the dog wasn’t far from the home.”
Her father, Joe Kritzer, told KTLA that they went out to retrieve the dog but hasn’t seen his daughter since.
It wasn’t until after she went missing that her parents learned that she had been posing as a 19-year-old woman in online chat rooms.
“We’re following up on some investigative leads from social media,” Ford said. “We have no indication that she’s been abducted or that foul play has been involved.”
Still, he added, “the problem is you don’t know who you’re meeting on social media.”
The girl has been known to run away and was found in a local motel in January of this year after such a disappearance, Ford added.
Anyone with information is asked to call (310) 802-5140.
Twitter: @aribloomekatz
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
