The family of a 17-year-old girl, along with investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department, are asking for the public’s help in locating the teen who has been diagnosed with severe autism, officials announced Sunday.
Sara Nicole Castillo was last seen by family members on Aug. 9 near the 5400 block of Zelzah Avenue in Encino, according to the LAPD missing persons bulletin.
Castillo was reported missing around 2 a.m. on Aug. 10 after it was learned that she was no longer inside the family’s home.
Police said the 17-year-old later texted her father, saying that she had stepped out for some air, but that she was lost and unable to find her way home.
The girl is described as a Hispanic female standing 5 feet 7 inches, weighing around 113 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray floral-patterned shirt with gray shorts and pink sandals.
Castillo is new to Los Angeles, police said, and does not know her way around.
Anyone with information about this case or who may have knowledge of her whereabouts is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800.
Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.