15-year-old girl back home safely after she went missing in October
UPDATE: Alexis "Lexi" Marrero was found last week and is safely back with her family, the Delaware State Police reported Monday, Feb. 6. No further information was provided. The story below appears as it was originally published in November.
Delaware State Police and the family of a 15-year-old girl who went missing from Christiana Mall nearly two months ago are asking the public to help them find Alexis "Lexi" Marrero.
"Alexis, if you're watching ... no one loves you more than me," Jennifer Marrero, the girl's mother said at a press conference Wednesday at Delaware State Police Troop 2 in Glasgow. The mother said they wanted her home, but if someone was keeping her away that her daughter would find a way. "I know you are a very smart girl and you will find a way."
Alexis, who family said was being treated for a concussion she experienced about a year ago, is considered an endangered missing person by state police, who do not normally hold press conferences for missing people. Delaware Online/The News Journal similarly does not typically report on "gold alerts" or missing persons reports, due to how quickly people are often located.
But now, state police are asking for even more help. While several people have provided investigators with tips, Sgt. India Sturgis, a Delaware Police spokesperson, said the agency has nearly exhausted those leads.
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"Delaware State Police, as well as her family, is very concerned about the safety and wellbeing of Alexis," she said. "We're using every available resource, including but not limited to, local, state and federal agencies to find her."
The MOT Charter High School freshman left Christiana Mall on Oct. 1, leaving her cellphone behind. Police said they do not know whom she left the mall with. Alexis was last physically seen in Cecil County, Maryland, on Oct. 7.
Sturgis said their investigation has found that Alexis used other people's cellphones to find rides and places to stay.
The 4-foot-11-inch girl from Bear was last seen wearing a black jacket and shirt, frayed blue jeans and red-black-and-white Van sneakers.
Anyone with information about Alexis — where she is, who she's been with or had contact with — is asked to reach out to Delaware State Police via their Facebook messenger or the investigator at (302) 365-8436. People with information can also call Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Alexis Marrero, reported missing last fall, back home in Delaware
