A 12-year-old Idaho girl disappeared after posing as an 18-year-old on a dating site – with her family fearing the child had met a stranger online.
“Energetic and fun” Payton Avery Murrieta was last seen by her family in the early hours of Friday, March 15 in the area of “The Ranch” and Midland in Nampa.
After he disappeared, his mother found his phone and saw notifications from a dating site.
She told the Idaho Statesman that she created a fake account to log in and saw Payton’s profile that said she was 18 years old.
Calling for help, the Nampa Police Department said: “Her family is concerned that she may have connected online with an unknown adult and may be with them.
Payton went missing early Friday morning and hasn’t been seen since
His mother Ali asked for information. The missing sister is pictured at left
Payton has been missing for five days and his mother said she doesn’t have his phone or house keys.
She said the last message she received from her daughter was to thank her and tell her she loved her “beautiful mother”.
She wrote on Facebook: “None of her friends have heard from her and she is not on any social media.
“If you see her, please call your local Nampa Police Department at 208-465-2257. She is approximately 5’5 – 125 pounds, brown eyes, hair is now dark red. It is possible that she is with an older male.
A few days later, she added: “Everything can help, even prayers. I can’t work right now because she doesn’t have a house key or remember the code to the garage, so if she comes home I have to be there.
“It’s almost day five and my heart aches for my daughter, those watching the news, she’s been on several news channels. I have another daughter that I have to provide for.
Ali told the Idaho Statesman that she turned to her daughter’s phone for clues after she disappeared.
Ali told the Idaho Statesman that she turned to her daughter’s phone for clues after she disappeared.
She and her husband created a fake account on a dating site and found her daughter’s profile, which claimed she was 18 years old.
Most of Payton’s family took time off work to look for her
She said she couldn’t unlock the phone, but was able to see notifications from a dating site.
Then she and her husband created a fake account on a dating site and found her daughter’s profile, which claimed she was 18 years old.
She then handed the phone over to the police.
Most of Payton’s family took time off work to look for her.
On Wednesday evening, Nampa police requested video footage from a certain area.
They wrote: “Nampa Police are searching for video footage in the area of N. Midland and W. Sanetta Street from Friday, March 15 between midnight and 6 a.m.
“If you live in this area and have a camera system on your home, please send us anything of interest.
“We are looking for vehicles in the area, suspicious activity, people waiting in a car, subjects on foot, etc.
“Our hope is to help locate all the details about missing and endangered 12-year-old Payton Avery Murrieta. Payton is described as 5’05”, 125 pounds with dark red dyed hair and brown eyes.’
She was last seen wearing glasses and may have been wearing tie-dye leggings and a hooded sweatshirt.
Ali shared a video montage of photos of her and her daughter
A family friend created a GoFundMe to support the family
A GoFundMe set up for the family said: “Ali is an extraordinary single mother, raising two beautiful daughters. She does everything she can to put them first.
“She is an extremely hard worker who worked long hours at a local restaurant to take care of herself and her daughters for almost 25 years in the same business. She has a beautiful heart and kindness that drives her to do everything for others rather than herself.
“On the night of March 15, his youngest daughter disappeared. Since then, she has devoted everything to helping find her, her friends and family. Because of this, she is unable to work at the moment and still has to support her other daughter.
“I ask everyone to help her and her family during this sad time and difficult financial crisis. It’s so sad.
“And we hope Payton is found soon.” Please help her and her family during this difficult time and also share her daughter’s photo and name.