Girl, 14, who went missing while visiting family in Big Lake area found safe in Federal Way
Breaking news update:
A Florida teenager who was reported missing while on vacation in western Washington has been located.
The FBI said Thursday afternoon that 14-year-old Katie Barlow, who was last seen over the weekend in the Big Lake area, was found safe in Federal Way. Investigators said Katie was safe with law enforcement and appeared to be unharmed.
FBI spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich said in a news release that 14-year-old Katelynn Barlow was found at a mall south of Seattle in Federal Way Thursday afternoon. The FBI said she appears healthy and unharmed but will be further assessed.
"Investigators appreciated the abundance of tips, and support for their search," said Ayn Dietrich-Williams of the FBI Seattle Division. "There have been no arrests. The investigation will continue in order to learn more about the circumstances of Katie’s disappearance."
Barlow was with her aunt and uncle, who have primary custody of her, when she disappeared Sunday night.
The family was in Big Lake, Washington when Barlow walked out of her family's cabin to use the bathroom. She was wearing pajamas and no shoes.
Barlow's cellphone was found off of Interstate 5, about 30 miles away from where the family had been staying.
Previous story:
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- A family vacation in Skagit County has turned into an FBI investigation.
The FBI, along with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, started a joint investigation into the disappearance of Katelynn Barlow, 14, who was visiting the Big Lake area in Skagit County from Florida on a family trip. She vanished on Sunday.
On Tuesday, investigators found her cell phone at the Smokey Point rest area in Snohomish County just off I-5, about 32 miles from where she was last seen. Her family says she never went anywhere without her cell phone and that’s part of the reason why they believe she was abducted.
Some Skagit County sheriff’s deputies were handing out fliers about missing Katie Barlow. It has all the information about when she went missing and a good description of her.
Katie’s uncle, Jeff O’Connor, says she was excited to take her first trip from Brevard County, Florida, to Big Lake. On the night she went missing, O’Connor says, they did not have an argument or any incident that would’ve sparked her to leave. He says she wasn’t prepared to run away.
“No one’s going to (run away), from Florida, in 50-degree weather wearing shorts, pajama shorts, and a tank top without any shoes. That’s why we feel this is an abduction case. Someone has come and taken a close family member from us and my niece is out there and I want her to please pick up the phone and call me,” said O'Connor.
He said he believes she was lured away from their Big Lake cabin. He thinks the fact that her phone was found so far away proves she didn’t walk there. The area around Big Lake is pretty remote.
The FBI said they’re assisting the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office with their FBI Child Abduction Rapid Development Team, which has more resources than a local agency to track down missing children. Right now, the FBI is still calling her an endangered missing person. It is not labeling this an abduction case.
Kate Barlow is 5-foot-1 and about 120 pounds. If you see her, you’re asked to call 911.
