AJA STROUD - 13 yo - DeKalb/Atlanta GA

DeKalb County police are asking for the public's help in finding a 13-year-old girl who has not been seen since May.
Aja Stroud, who has a history of running away, was last seen at the DeKalb County Alternative School on Memorial Drive on May 18, Officer Jason Gagnon told the media.
Aja's family did not report her missing for a month, Gagnon said.



The teen, who is 5-feet-8 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, suffers
from bipolar disorder and has been without medication since May, police
said. She was last seen wearing a white polo shirt and tan pants, and
has a noticeable scar on her right arm.
Anyone with information on Aja’s whereabouts is asked to contact the
DeKalb Police Special Victim’s Unit at 770-724-7710, Gagnon said.

When her grandmother last saw her, 13-year-old Aja Stroud was leaving for school. That was May 18.
More than three months later, the girl's family has no idea where she is, but clings to the hope she'll be found safe.




Aja's mother, who lives in Ohio, told the AJC she doesn't feel DeKalb County detectives are doing enough to find her daughter.

"I don’t know if she’s alive or what’s going on," Lonyel Cole, Aja's
mother, said during a recent trip to Atlanta to search for her daughter.
"All I know is she’s missing and nobody cares except me."

DeKalb officials said the department has no active leads.

Several months ago, Cole said much of her time in Ohio was spent helping her mother, who later lost her battle with cancer.

Aja's father, who lives in DeKalb County, offered to help by letting Aja move in with him, Cole said. Aja's paternal grandmother lives in Atlanta, Cole said.

In March, Aja started school at the DeKalb County
Alternative School, Cole said. After an argument with her father, Aja
went to her grandmother's house, near West End, Cole said. It was there
where she said goodbye to grandmother, Carolyn Stroud, before taking a
MARTA bus to school.

School officials have told the family that Aja was at school the
entire day. But when school ended, she didn't return home, Cole said.

Carolyn Stroud called police.

“They came out and made the initial report and left me a card," she said. "They told me I’d be contacted by a detective."

Aja's father, Louis Stroud, also called police in DeKalb County on May 18, the family says.

And then, the waiting began, Cole said. Aja's case is being handled
as a runaway, and Cole said detectives have told her it's not a
priority.

"I’m doing more investigation than they have during the three
months," Cole said. "I’m coming in Atlanta blind searching around for my
child.”

Aja doesn't have a cell phone and didn't have more than bus fare with
her. Plus, the teen is bipolar and typically takes medication to
control the condition.

"She cannot make any clear decisions," Cole said.

Aja's grandmother is hopeful that someone has seen her granddaughter
and has helped her survive the past three months. Carolyn Stroud says a
MARTA bus driver told her recently she had seen Aja.

“You have to continue your life and your day, but my mind is on my
granddaughter," Carolyn Stroud said. "Who has her? Where has she been?”

The family waited a MONTH before contacting authorities, The girl has a runaway history. Can you blame LE for not putting this on the front burner?
IMHO, even the family thought she ran away for the first month.
On the other hand she's just a kid, barely a teenager, wherever she is, she needs help.

Date: Friday, September 23, 2011, 1:33 PM

Aja Stroude missing from Decatur, GA, has been recovered. Please
discontinue dissemination of this poster. Your participation in this
program has made a valuable contribution to this recovery.

Please remove and discard any posters on this case that you have placed in public view.

Thank you for your support.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Visit our web site at www.missingkids.com.