TINA MONROE - 15 yo - Wellsburg WV

Amber Alert Issued in Brooke County

Sunday, November 7, 2010; 09:14 PM

Sheriff's deputies looking for 15-year-old girl.

WELLSBURG -- An amber alert has been issued for a 15-year-old girl in Brooke County.

The Brooke County Sheriff's Department says they are looking for a girl named Tina Monroe.

They say she was last seen at a Laundry mat in Wellsburg, talking on her cell phone a little after 7 pm.

Deputies say she is wearing a gray Brooke Bruins Band hoodie, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

They say she has blonde hair in a pony tail.

If you have any information, please contact the Brooke County Sheriffs office at 304-527-1430.

Runaway Teen Found Safe In Brooke County

Updated: 4:47 pm EST November 8, 2010After an intense search, Brooke County officials said a runaway teen who was initially thought to have been abducted is safe.Sunday night, the Brooke County Sheriff's Office said search teams were looking for 15-year-old Tina Monroe, who was last seen near Commerce Street in Wellsburg on her cell phone."When I responded, I spoke to her mother who was visibly upset and shaken," said Wellsburg Police Sgt. Dan Casto.Initially unsure of what happened, emergency responders didn't take any chances."Anytime you get a call, especially if it’s a missing child, even though this girl was 15, you know time is of the essence," said Bob Fowler of Brooke County Emergency Management Agency.According to emergency officials, Brooke County dispatch contacted the Amber Alert center to begin the steps for issuing an alert, but the alert was not issued because crews received information that the girl was not in danger.With police, EMA crews, firefighters and a number of search teams already on the street, officials found out the girl had not been abducted. Around 8:45 p.m. Sunday, officials said a relative made contact with the girl and the teen was considered a runaway. Monroe was found in a local park a short time later and was in custody by 10 p.m."She had basically ran off from her mother," Casto said.Fowler said he couldn't put a price tag on the response effort, but said there were wasted resources like fuel cost for the vehicles. He further said, "Anytime you're out here at night doing any type of search of any activity, there's always a chance that one of the (all-terrain vehicles) we're using in the search could be involved in an accident."Even though the incident was not as serious as first thought, Fowler said it helped emergency crews in the long run."It's a good training exercise for us to test our abilities to do a quick search and actually cover an area quickly and thoroughly," Fowler said.Police said the girl admitted she ran away. Casto said he contacted Child Protective Services and the county prosecutor and planned to meet with both groups later Monday to discuss if any charges would be filed.
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