CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A 16-year-old girl from Chesapeake who was last seen in March was found safe in Trenton, New Jersey, law enforcement said Monday.
Chesapeake police officers said they worked with U.S. Marshals Service to find Destiny Ayala Patterson.
After Destiny spent 41 days away from home, the Pattersons still have a lot of unanswered questions – including how their daughter ended up more than 300 miles away from home. However, they are breathing easier, as of Monday.
“They have a sense of relief. They are thankful. They are grateful. There’s a lot of emotions. They’re trying to get to her as soon as possible," said Brandon Randleman, an advocate for the family, during an interview with 13News Now late Monday afternoon.
The teen's mother and father spent weeks pleading for answers and information.
“We know that when minorities, when young Black men or women go missing, there’s still much work to do in society, in America, that we amplify and take those same stories with the same seriousness as if someone else went missing," Randleman said.
According to Chesapeake police, Destiny was last seen leaving Indian River High School in a sedan around 1 p.m. on March 28. Family members said they did not recognize the sedan, nor the man who was driving.
Authorities did not specify Monday where exactly Destiny was located in Trenton, New Jersey, nor how.
"We don't know any circumstances of who she was with," Randleman said.
Workers with Child Protective Services are helping reunite the teen with her family, police said.