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PROVO — A 14-year-old girl missing for 24 hours planned to be away from her house, but did not want people to think she was a runaway, according to police.
Investigators Tuesday continued to retrace the steps of Sarah Charice Beaumont who was found at an LDS meetinghouse in Pleasant Grove after disappearing about 24 hours earlier.
Around 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, the 14-year-old reached out to her mother on a stranger's home phone. It appears she did not know the search for her was underway.
"We immediately did a reversal on the line, sent Pleasant Grove Police Officers who made contact with her and held her until we were able to talk with her," said Provo police Lt. Matt Siufanua.
She was last seen Monday after she left her house, near 1100 W. 650 North, at 8:30 a.m to walk to Dixon Junior High. She never made it to school. Provo Police Lt. Mathew Siufanua said Sarah took her brother's bicycle and someone else's jacket, and used Google to find an address in Pleasant Grove where she wanted to go. She then rode her bicycle to the church.
"She planned the whole thing," said Siufanua.
The girl took some food and money with her. Detectives believe she was alone the entire time.
What her intentions were, however, were still unknown Tuesday. Siufanua said investigators could not confirm Tuesday whether Sarah went there to meet anyone. All of the computers in her home and her cellphone were being searched by detectives Tuesday for possible clues.
Police said it appeared Sarah got cold while spending the night outside of the church. But she was otherwise unharmed when she was found.
Friends and family members started a campaign on social media to spread the word about her disappearance. Thousands posted on various outlets in an effort to find her.
Dozens of volunteers spent several hours canvassing her neighborhood Monday night, knocking doors and passing out fliers with Charice's picture.
The search continued at 8 a.m. Tuesday, with volunteers meeting at the LDS Church building at 780 N. 700 West in Provo. Organizers said hundreds turned out for the two-day search effort, thanks to social media.
"When you see pictures of her, not just a school photo, you see a little bit of her personality," said search organizer Alex Mitchell. "You tend to gain an emotional attachment to them, and I think that anybody who has family ... it just tugs at your heartstrings."
Police said they have used social media as a tool in these cases. Monday night after posting about Charice, their Facebook page had 8,000 views.
The downside, they said, is the potential for bad information to get out. They said they have to stay on top of information and be very careful that the right information gets where it needs to go.
