True Crime

Prayer Vigil Planned for an Eloped Missing Teen

Nya Jingles is a neurodivergent teen who is 15 years old and unable to care for herself. Photo from the Find Nya Jingles Facebook Page

The family of Nya Jingles, a missing 15-year-old who is missing from the 3300 block of Atlantic Avenue is planning a virtual prayer vigil. Nya was last seen on May 5, 2022. The developmentally challenged teen has eloped before, but she was always found.

Here is the original article.

[embed]Family Seeks Help for Critical Missing Teen with Autism Missing teen, Nya Jingles, is without her meds and needs to be found ASAP!medium.com

For those unfamiliar with the term, elope or elopement is a term common for children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It refers to an individual that has run or wandered away from caregivers or secure locations.

This is different from when a neurotypical teen runs away because the person running pretty much can’t make the connections to the ramifications and the dangers involved with doing so. To add to this heartbreaking case, Nya is without her medicine, Abilify, which she needs to take daily.

Additionally, the family reports that the police over this case is treating Nya’s elopement the same as they would a typical case with a neurotypical runaway. This is a completely inappropriate response. Police also failed to question the Uber driver that she was last seen with before being dropped off.

On the Facebook page Find Nya Jingles, her family writes

Hello Friends and Family,

I just found out that OC sheriff/police still have not personally talked to the Uber driver they claim dropped my daughter off in Long Beach. Both my husband and I were led to believe they spoke to the driver. This further lets me know they are not doing everything possible to find my daughter.

Please call the OC sheriff and put pressure on them to do a press conference and seriously look for my daughter. I don’t understand why they have not personally questioned the driver if he was the last person to see my daughter.

We need HELP!!!! Call OC sheriff and demand they do more. They have not checked all the cameras on the street she was dropped off on.

This is a flyer for the prayer vigil being held tonight. This image was pulled from the Find Nya Jingles Facebook page.

The virtual prayer vigil will be held today at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST via zoom. If you would like to join the family in offering support please use this link. Nya was last seen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, light blue jeans, and black Nike Air Force Ones. Nya is an African American female who’s 5'9" and 140 lbs. She has black hair and brown eyes.

Though Nya is verbal, she is not receptive to everything a typical teen would understand. She fully believes that anyone nice to her has the best intentions for her. Furthermore, her memory is not the best. Her memory is exacerbated in any high-stress situation.

Anyone with information regarding this missing person is urged to call the LBPD Missing Persons Detail at (562) 570–7246 or Police Dispatch at (562) 435–6711. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may submit a tip through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1–800–222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple App Store and Google Play) or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Originally published at https://original.newsbreak.com.