- Harper Cadman, 15, disappeared on January 30 while flying to Los Angeles.
- His checked luggage arrived in California, but the family has not heard from him.
- Detectives believe he may be in Boulder or Denver, but are increasingly concerned for his safety.
Fears are growing for the safety of a California teenager who went missing after disappearing during an airport layover.
Harper Cadman, 15, was last seen at Denver International Airport, where she was due to catch a connecting flight back to her home state.
He landed on a United Airlines flight from Montana around 8:27 a.m. on Jan. 30, but never boarded his next plane.
However, his checked bag returned to Los Angeles, according to the teen’s mother, Ari Petronelli.
She and other members of the teen’s family set out for Colorado in a frantic search to find their daughter, but so far have been unable to track her down. Since then, her mother returned to take care of her other children.
Harper Cadman, 15, disappeared during a stopover at Denver International Airport on the way home from Montana.
The teenager landed shortly before 8:30 a.m. on January 30, but has not been seen since and missed her connecting flight back to California.
Cadman’s mother and aunt flew to Colorado to try to look for the teen, as detectives believe she may be in the Boulder or Denver area (Denver International Airport is pictured with the Rocky Mountains in the background).
“Leaving Colorado without her felt like I was abandoning my baby and it broke my heart into a million pieces not knowing if she’s warm, safe or if she has food in her stomach,” Petronelli said. “As soon as I can I will come back to look for her.”
Cadman is believed to be in Denver or Boulder, but his family is “extremely concerned for his safety” as he does not know anyone in the Colorado area.
Petronelli said her daughter had been in treatment for mental health issues and was being moved home.
She is especially concerned because Cadman was last seen wearing only tights and a sweatshirt and without her belongings.
“My sister and I spent last week searching Denver and Boulder, talking to detectives, advocates, homeless people and ‘street kids,'” Petronelli added.
“What we saw was a very cold, scary and dangerous situation for anyone, but especially for a 15-year-old girl at risk.”
It is the second time that the teenager has disappeared in a year, much to the distress of her mother.
“My stomach hurts writing this and I never thought I’d have to post another lost flyer from my own son, but if this last year has taught me anything it’s that life just doesn’t make sense,” Petronelli wrote on Facebook.
Cadman’s mother, Ari Petronelli, said her daughter had been receiving mental health treatment in Montana before her disappearance.
Cadman’s checked luggage arrived in Los Angeles without her. It is the second time the teenager has disappeared in the last year.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued an alert for Cadman with a description describing her as 5’7″, 115 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued an urgent alert desperately seeking information.
Cadman is described as 5’7″, 115 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.
She has braces, facial piercings, and distinctive tattoos on her waist and middle finger of her left hand.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678 or the Denver (Colorado) Police Department at 1-720-913-2000.