ALEXANDRA "Allie" LOFTIS - 13 yo - Wayland MA

Police need help finding missing 13-year-old Wayland girl


CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Alexandra "Allie" Loftis, 13, of Wayland

Last update Nov 05, 2011 @ 03:26 PM
WAYLAND —

The Wayland Police are asking for the public's help to find a missing 13-year-old girl.
Alexandra "Allie" Loftis was last seen walking in Lincoln at about 3:30 or 4 p.m. on Friday toward the MBTA station.
The last known contact was in Boston on Friday at 8 p.m., police said.
Loftis is described as being a bi-racial girl with long brown hair,
brown eyes and standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds.
She was last seen wearing a hip-length black jacket with a gray
fur-trimmed hood, black Ugg boots and jeans. Loftis is also walking with
one aluminum crutch due to a knee injury.
Police say her disappearance is not suspicious.
Police ask that anyone with information call Detective Ruth Backman or
Detective Sgt. Jamie D. Berger at the Wayland Police Department at 508-358-4721.

ead more: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/editorspick_mobile/x1760396786/Police-need-help-finding-missing-13-year-old-Wayland-girl#ixzz1cs5Pc5cE

Wayland Police detectives have obtained surveillance footage of a
missing teenage girl boarding a Peter Pan bus in Boston bound for New
York City.


Alexandra "Allie" Loftis was reported missing Friday night around 11
p.m., according to Wayland Police Det. Sgt. Jamie Berger. Her mom
discovered her daughter missing after returning home from work and
immediately contacted police. Police do not suspect foul play, but
believe Loftis ran away as she has done once in the past.


Wayland PD said Loftis, an eighth grader at Wayland Middle School,
walked to the Lincoln commuter station where she caught a train into
Boston. She was last seen wearing a hip-length black jacket with a gray
fur-trimmed hood, black UGG boots and jeans and with one aluminum
crutch, which she uses for a knee injury.


Berger said Loftis boarded a New York City-bound bus around 6:15 p.m.
on Friday, Nov. 4. She purchased the bus ticket with money she had in
her room.


While Loftis does have family in New York City, police do not believe she headed to the city to see that family.


Wayland Police have contacted the New York City Port Authority Police
Department and will provide whatever assistance is needed, though the
investigation is no longer under the Wayland PD's jurisdiction.


Wayland Public Schools Superintendent Paul Stein has informed parents
of Loftis' disappearance. In addition, he asked parents to contact
Wayland Police if their child knows "anything which might be relevant to
this situation."


"We continue to hope that all will turn out to be well for both
Allie and her family," Stein said in the email to ListServ members. "If
I've learned anything about Wayland since I've arrived, it's that it is
a strong and caring community, and that it is important that you are
informed about the welfare of your neighbors."


Anyone with information about Loftis' whereabouts is asked to contact
Wayland Police at 508-358-4721 and speak with Det. Sgt. Jamie Berger or
Det. Ruth Backman.
http://wayland.patch.com/articles/wayland-police-missing-girl-caught-a-bus-to-new-york-city

Wayland teenager Alexandra "Allie" Loftis was last seen on
surveillance footage exiting a bus in New York City, but the NYS (New
York State) Division of Criminal Justice Services – Missing Persons
Clearinghouse states that Loftis might have gone elsewhere in the city —
to Brooklyn.


Loftis' mother reported her daughter missing from their Wayland home
on Friday, Nov. 4 at about 11 p.m. According to Wayland Police, Loftis'
mother returned home from work that night to find her daughter gone.
Police do not suspect any foul play; rather, they believe Loftis is a
runaway.


A police press release said Loftis, 13, was seen walking to the MBTA
station in Lincoln on Nov. 4. She was wearing a hip-length black jacket
with a gray fur-trimmed hood, black UGG boots and jeans. She walked
with one aluminum crutch, which she uses for a knee injury. Police
later learned that Loftis purchased a bus ticket in Boston for a trip to
New York City, where she was last seen exiting a bus at the Port
Authority.


According to Loftis' poster provided by the NYS Division of Criminal
Justice Services – Missing Persons Clearinghouse and housed on the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children Web database, she was also carrying a blue-gray backpack when last spotted. She has braces and pierced ears.


Wayland Police said Loftis has family members in New York City,
though they did not suspect she went to visit them. As of Wednesday
afternoon, Wayland Police said they have no new information to relay,
but continue to work with the New York Police Department on the case.


Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Wayland Police at
508-358-4721 or the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services – Missing
Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3543.
http://wayland.patch.com/articles/wayland-police-continue-to-work-with-nypd-on-missing-teen-case

Alexandra "Allie" Loftis, 13, a teenager from Wayland, Mass., has
been missing for over a week now, and authorities believe she may be somewhere in Brooklyn.
Loftis boarded a Peter Pan bus from Boston on Friday, Nov. 4, and was later seen on surveillance videos arriving at New York City's Port Authority. She hasn't been seen since.
According to Allie's father, Tony Loftis, 47, Allie had been unhappy
at school recently and was going through what seemed like typical teenage angst.
"She's a nice, little suburban girl who probably has the same issues that any suburban girls has," he said.
Loftis and his wife, Christina, never thought Allie would go so far as to run away.
"I live in semi-rural community where it's peaceful and quiet, and
she wanted big city, bright lights," Loftis said. "She wanted to go to
school in a different area. As she said, where we live is boring."
Loftis grew up in Brooklyn himself and has frequently taken his
daughter there to visit relatives in the past, so the search is currently concentrated there.
"My understanding from talking to the police is that the kids tend to go to
the areas where they feel most comfortable," Loftis said. "My family is
from Brooklyn, so the assumption is that she's in or around Brooklyn."
But to their knowledge, Allie has not reached out to any family members in the area.
Loftis said there has been no shortage of people willing to help
canvas the area in search of his daughter, and that the NYPD has been
vigilant in their efforts. But those attempting to find Allie have little idea of where she might be.
"The thing that we're struggling with now is just sort of figuring out where to look," said Loftis.
Family and friends are taking advantage of social media networks like Facebook and Twitter to get out the word about Allie. The "Find Allie Loftis" Facebook page is full of photos of Allie, with pleas for her to come home.
"'King' Puffy misses you he keeps standing outside your room and
whining," reads a caption above a picture of Allie smiling next to her
dog. "Nana is sending her love ... She and Grampa Harry and all the nuns
are praying for your safe return," says another, with a picture of Allie with her grandmother.
It's estimated that as many as 1.6 million teens run away each year, and 75 percent of them return home within one week.
The number of runaways increased in 2009 as the economy worsened, according to the New York Times.
The stress of layoffs and foreclosures on families was absorbed by
teens, who in turn opted to leave home and try to make it on their own.
But the Loftis family is not struggling financially, and if anything,
Mr. Loftis feels he has given his daughter a more comfortable life than he had.
"I've done pretty much everything in my life to make a good life for
her. I think every parent tries to make a better life for their kids
than what they had growing up, and I think I achieved that," he said. "I
wish she knew how much my wife and I loved her, and how much we desperately want her back home."

Loftis, who is biracial and 5' 4" with brown hair, was last seen wearing a black hip-length coat with grey fur, jeans and Uggs. Anyone with information on Loftis should contact
FindAllieLoftis@gmail.com or call the New York City Missing Persons squad at 212-694-7781.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/12/search-for-allie-loftis-missing-teen_n_1090006.html

New York Police continue to search for 13-year-old Allie Loftis, who
is believed to have run away from her home in Wayland on Friday, Nov. 4.


Allie’s father, Tony, said that he agrees with New York authorities
that the situation has changed given the length of time his daughter has
been able to remain hidden in spite of the large number of people
looking for her.


Loftis said it now seems likely that Allie was “lured” to New York
City. He said that he and his wife made a practice of monitoring their
daughter’s Facebook and other online activity, and they have no ideas
regarding who she may have traveled to the city to meet. Even so, Loftis
said it seems unlikely, regardless of how much money his daughter took
with her from Wayland, that she remains on her own.


“She obviously has help,” he said.


At this point, Loftis said, authorities believe the eighth grader is
staying underground and out of sight, whether willingly or unwillingly.


“Wherever she is, she’s buried,” Loftis said. He explained that the
initial search efforts asked people to search for her without hanging
posters in places that she might see them. The idea was to look for her
while maintaining her comfort zone and not forcing her further
underground.


“Now we need to blast her out,” Loftis said. “I don’t imagine that
it’s possible that we can still go out of her comfort zone. Whether she
is being held willingly or against her will … it’s impossible for him or
her to keep [Allie] underground for long.”


Wayland Police Chief Bob Irving said two Wayland Police detectives
will be in New York City Tuesday to meet with the New York City Missing
Person Unit about the case.


Allie's father is himself in New York City trying to find his
daughter. He said his family is “devastated,” but is also “very strong.”


Messages from family, friends and strangers have been pouring into the “Find Allie Loftis” page on Facebook.


A photo of Loftis and his daughter was posted Monday afternoon on the
page. The caption with the photo reads, “one of many trips to get ice
cream w dad, i luv u honey, pls let us know u r ok.”


Loftis said a “Find Allie Loftis” YouTube channel should be up within
about 24 hours. It will be a place where friends and family can post
videos and messages for Allie.


Allie was last seen on surveillance footage exiting a bus at the New
York Port Authority in Manhattan on Nov. 4. Police believe she may have
traveled to Brooklyn, though Tony Loftis said the search is also ongoing
in Manhattan.Allie was wearing a hip-length black jacket with a gray fur-trimmed
hood, black UGG boots and jeans. She walked with one aluminum crutch,
which she uses for a knee injury. She is 5 foot, 4 inches tall, with
brown hair and brown eyes. She has pierced ears and braces.
http://wayland.patch.com/articles/father-says-missing-wayland-teen-obviously-has-help

The search for a missing Wayland teenager is intensifying. New York
police say they now believe the 13-year-old may be in Brooklyn. Allie
Loftis disappeared from her home back on Friday, Nov. 4th. She was last
seen on surveillance footage getting off a bus at New York Port
Authority that same day.
Two Wayland detectives are traveling to New York City Tuesday to meet with the city's missing person unit.
Allie's father says he believes the 8th grader may have been lured to the Big Apple.
Her family has created Twitter and Facebook pages and a YouTube channel as part of the search.

Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/search-for-missing-wayland-teen-intensifies-in-nyc-20111115#ixzz1dmnPfFBr

The New York Police Department's Missing Persons Unit confirmed today that missing Wayland, Mass. teen Alexandra ("Allie") Loftis was located in Jersey City, N.J. and taken into police custody around 9 a.m. this morning. Police had received a tip about her whereabouts.


Loftis left her home in Massachusetts on Nov. 4 and was last seen on surveillance cameras exiting a Peter Pan bus at Port Authority in Manhattan.


Loftis has family in Crown Heights, and had previously visited Park Slope. Her father, Tony Loftis, had believed that the teen was "lured" to New York.


Tony told Wayland Patch that he was "thrilled" to hear that his daughter was safe and sound.


Jay Ruiz, the president of Brooklyn Bike Patrol,
a service that allows women to call, E-mail, Facebook or Twitter for an
accompanied walk home from 25 subway stations in Brooklyn, started to
canvas the Park Slope area for Loftis with his 11-member squad. He was
grateful to hear that the teen was safe.


“Thank God, I have been praying all day. I am so happy,” said Ruiz.
“Thank you God. My day just went from sad to extremely happy.”


The circumstances surrounding her disappearance and activities since
she ran away on Nov. 4, remain under investigation. Police ask that
anyone with information call Detective Ruth Backman or Detective Sgt.
Jamie D. Berger at the Wayland Police Department at 508-358-4721.
http://fortgreene.patch.com/articles/missing-teen-believed-to-be-in-brooklyn-found-in-nj

A 45-year-old man was arrested this morning after police found a
13-year-old missing Massachusetts girl at his Jersey City home,
officials said.


The Jersey City Police Department and New York City Police Department
Missing Persons Squad went to the man's Winfield Avenue home to look
for the girl, who was reported missing in Massachusetts, said Guy
Gregory, first assistant prosecutor with Hudson County.


Jorge Garzon, who has also used the name George Gonzalez, was at the
address and arrested at 10:42 a.m., officials said. Sources close to the
investigation who are not authorized to speak about it, said that they
met online.


Garzon is in the custody of the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office pending charges, Gregory said.


"Charges have not yet been filed," Gregory said. "Once one determined involved minor they gave to us to decide the charges."


Gregory said that the case is still under investigation, but he
expects Garzon to appear for a bail hearing and to hear the charges
against him in Central Judicial Processing court tomorrow, officials
said.


The girl had been reported missing from her Wayland, Mass. home on Nov. 4.
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/11/jersey_city_man_45_is_arrested.html

Missing for 12 days, a 13-year-old Massachusetts girl was found
yesterday at the Greenville home of a 45-year-old Jersey City man whom
sources say she met over the Internet.


Charges are pending against Jorge Garzon, who was taken into custody
by Jersey City and New York City police at 10:42 a.m. at his Winfield
Avenue residence, Hudson County First Assistant Prosecutor Guy Gregory
said.


The prosecutor did not reveal last night any information about the
girl’s current location or condition, and the teen’s family could not be
reached for comment.


Gregory said the case is still under investigation, but he expects
Garzon, who also goes by the name George Gonzalez, to appear today for a
bail hearing and to hear the charges against him in Central Judicial
Processing court in Jersey City.


Sources close to the investigation, who are not authorized to speak about it, said the girl met Garzon online.


The girl’s mother reported her missing from her Wayland, Mass., home
on Nov. 4. Shortly after, it was verified that she had boarded a Peter
Pan Bus Lines bus at 6:30 p.m. in Boston, Detective Ruth Backman of the
Wayland Police Department said yesterday.


Backman said the girl arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City at 10:50 p.m.


The last confirmed sighting of her was at the terminal 15 minutes later, she said.


“We do understand she has been found and we are very happy about that,” Backman said.


How she ended up in Jersey City is still under investigation and
Wayland authorities would only seek extradition if it was determined
that a crime was committed in their jurisdiction, Backman said.


A Facebook page set up seeking the girl’s safe return, which has
drawn more than 2,500 followers, features numerous family photos of the
smiling child and messages from her mother and father pleading for her
safe return.


The family told a local newspaper they believe the girl ran away
because she was bored with life in the small town of just over 12,000
residents about 20 miles west of Boston.


One photo shows the girl and her dad eating ice cream together with
their heads touching. The message accompanying the photo says, “I luv u
honey, pls let us know ur OK.”
http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2011/11/missing_girl_found_at_jersey_c.html

Creepy details emerged today about
the plot by a grown man to lure a 13-year-old girl he met over the
internet across state lines.
Police
charged Jorge Garzon, 45, with sexual assault, child endangerment and
child abuse after Alexandra 'Allie' Loftis was found in his Jersey City
apartment, and a neighbor's account of their interaction is shedding
light on the relationship between the apparent ill-matched lovers.
Eduardo
Morillo, who rents a basement apartment in the home Garzon lives in
with his parents, testified that he met Allie when he was invited into
Garzon's room to clear his computer hard drive.

Mr Morillo, a computer engineer, did
not know why the grown man wanted to erase his hard drive, but was able
to easily clear the drive.

Mr
Morillo told The Jersey Journal that because the young girl looked
happy and relaxed, he assumed she was a relative of Garzon, saying that
they 'touched' and 'hugged' one another in a close way.
Little is known of Garzon except that he is divorced, lives with his parents, and a father of two.
'They were acting as if it was a family together,' Mr Morillo told the paper.
The truth is far more cringe-worthy.


Mr Morillo only learned that the pair
were not actually related when a journalist came to his door after
Garzon was arrested and asked if he had seen the missing girl.

Police
say Alexandra 'Allie' Loftis vanished from her Boston home for nearly
two weeks after boarding a bus headed to New York City on November 4th,
sending her parents on a relentless hunt to get their daughter back.
Allie was located at Jorge Garzon's
Jersey City residence and taken into police custody around 9am
Wednesday, after police say they received a tip off.
Garzon, who also goes by the name George Gonzalez, was arrested just over an hour after her recovery at the Jersey address.
After their daughter disappeared, Mr
Loftis says she never turned on her cell phone or went on Facebook,
despite him describing her as tech savvy.

'We have left voice mail messages on
her cell phone until it got filled up. We’ve tried every method we think
possible but haven’t heard from her,' Mr Loftis told CBS after her
disappearance.

Pleading, in hope that she may see
their efforts and pain online, the family devoted a Facebook site to
their missing daughter, posting a flood of photos of them together.

That made it even more concerning for him, with his fear that Allie could have been held against her will.
er father did confess his believe that she may have met someone online.

Garzon, who Allie was found with, is
currently being held in custody in the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office
pending charges which have yet to be filed.

Affirming Allie's father's fear, the two are believed to have met online, a sources close to the investigation told NJ.com.

The circumstances surrounding both her
disappearance and the activities since she ran away are still under
investigation, according to police.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2063443/45-year-old-girl-13-met-online-come-live-residing-parents-basement-tried-neighbours-help-erasing-hard-drive.html?ito=feeds-newsxml