A Washington mother is asking for the public's help in locating her 14-year-old daughter, who apparently left her home to meet a man she had been communicating with online.
Ella Jones was last seen on the night of January 5th as she went to bed at her home on 20th Street North in Mount Vernon. Police believe Jones left either later that night, after Jones' mother Sarah Merrill reported her missing, or early in the morning on Jan. 6.
“She was here at bedtime and we had a normal night,” Merrill told FOX News Digital. “She stayed with me until just before I went to bed. She had a long week at work and she was tired. Then she said, 'I love you. Good night,' and left her room. went.”
The next morning, when Merrill woke up to make coffee and an omelet, she discovered Jones was not in her room and some of her belongings were missing.
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Ella Jones, 14, has been missing from Mount Vernon, Washington since January 5th. (Sarah Merrill)
“She took a lot of things with her, like she thought she had somewhere to go. Clothes, hair dryer, my iron. … So I immediately went to her friend's house and started asking questions. '' explained Merrill. It added that Ella's friends were “immediately concerned”.
Merrill said the difference is that a 14-year-old girl cannot communicate with her family or friends via phone or social media.
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Ella Jones, 14, has not communicated by phone or on social media. (Sarah Merrill)
Jones left Merrill a note saying she loved him, but that was the last time Merrill heard from her daughter, which was unusual, she said. She should have expected her phone to ring by now so she could at least know that her daughter was okay.
“She's never done anything like this before and it's completely different and out of character for her. Everyone who knows her is extremely concerned for her well-being,” Merrill said. he said.
“We love her and are doing everything we can to find her.”
Jones' friends also told Merrill that the girl had been communicating online with a man in his late 20s or early 30s on platforms such as Discord. Merrill had previously punished Jones for talking to a stranger, including temporarily taking away his phone, but she did not understand the extent of their relationship. It is said that
Friends of Ella Jones said she had been communicating online with a man in his late 20s or early 30s on platforms such as Discord. (Sarah Merrill)
“I didn't fully understand the gravity of it. … With teenagers, to some degree, there's always some kind of trouble going on. But I mean, she's a really sweet, good-natured kid. So the longer it went on, the more things happened.'' Children began to open up. [the online relationship]”One of my friends said he really trusted him,” Merrill said. And they're all pretty confident she'll be there. ”
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Jones' friends told Merrill different versions of the same story, that Jones was with an older man she met online. Merrill said various other small details added to the confusion and obscured the overall picture of what happened.
The Mount Vernon Police Department in Washington state is searching for missing 14-year-old Ella Jones. (Sarah Merrill)
“We don't know much about the details right now. The only clue is that she's been talking to a man online. Police have finally taken her electronic devices for forensic examination. So, we don't know much more. I hope we find out.''It was bigger than what we found after 10 hours of digging,'' the distraught mother said.
There have been various reported sightings of Jones in different areas around Washington, primarily in the Everett area, but nothing has been confirmed, Merrill said.
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Jones is described as a white female, 5 feet 5 inches tall, with brown hair, weighing approximately 135 pounds. Authorities believe she was wearing a black hoodie, multicolored pajama pants, and black Nike Air Force shoes when she left her home. She may also have had more clothes in her backpack.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen Jones to call 911 immediately. Anyone with information regarding the 14-year-old girl's whereabouts is asked to contact Skagit County Dispatch at 360-428-3211.
