PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Sofie Turay has been missing from her Northeast Portland home for more than a month now.
The 13-year-old girl disappeared in the middle of the night on Jan. 9. Her family thinks she left with a woman whom she’d spent 30 minutes talking to on the phone before vanishing.
Sofie’s relatives told KOIN 6 News the young teen is very small for her age after experiencing health issues in the African country of Sierra Leone before coming to the U.S. two years ago. They said she has the mental capacity of a six or seven year old and is easily influenced by others.
She’s also been known to run away from home. The family said in the past, she’s fled to a woman who used to be her dad’s neighbor.
Family members said they’ve had no leads on where Sofie might be. They’ve contacted the police, schools, her friends and even the Department of Human Services.
“Where is she at? What is happening to her? The evils that contemplates in your mind, it makes me not sleep,” said her uncle Aruna Kargbo.
“We’re frantic and just scared beyond belief,” Kargbo said, “we don’t know what to do and as the days go by, the days turn into weeks and months, we’re just scared of the worst possible outcome and we need our assistance. We need more people out there who could possibly have seen her.”
Anyone with information about Sofie’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Portland Police Bureau at 503.823.3333.
“Sofie, I just want you to come home and be safe,” said her father Momodu Sallu Turay. “We love you and your mom, too, wants you to come home. And the whole family wants you to come home. And please, if you’re watching this, I hope you return safe.”
Lt. Greg Pashley with the Portland Police Bureau told KOIN 6 News on Wednesday the Missing Persons unit has not provided any new information about Sofie’s case. The PPB previously said a missing person report had been filed and an investigator had been assigned to her case.