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RIVERDALE — Riverdale police said Saturday that it is possible that a 17-year-old foreign exchange student, who was officially reported missing on Friday, might be camping somewhere along the Wasatch Front based on "recent developments" in the case.
"(Kai Zhuang) had a recent interaction with law enforcement in Provo in which he had camping gear with him. Kai has also made several recent purchases of additional camping-related supplies," Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren said in a statement Saturday afternoon. "The camping gear that Kai was in possession of and/or purchased is not currently accounted for, leading law enforcement to believe that he could be utilizing the gear."
Warren added that police have additional concerns because of cold winter temperatures. They released a photo of a tent similar to one that Kai has in hopes it may help locate the missing teen.
Riverdale police initially issued an alert looking for Kai after his parents in China received a ransom note from what appears to be someone who abducted their son. That prompted the agency to issue an endangered missing person advisory.
Police said Friday that they received a report of a kidnapping about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The high school Kai is attending contacted officers after Kai's parents in China notified the school they had received a "photograph of their child that would indicate he was abducted and they requested a ransom." Further details were not given.
Officers responded to the residence of the host family in Riverdale, who were unaware Kai was missing. The host family said they had seen Kai the night before and had heard him in the early hours of Thursday, police said.
Police said no evidence suggests he was forcibly taken from the home. Police said "several investigative efforts are underway" and they are working with the FBI and the U.S. Embassy to locate Kai to get him home safely.
Kai is 5-foot-9 and weighs 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. It is unknown what Kai was wearing when he disappeared, but police say he often wears a green jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call Riverdale police at 801-394-6616 or Weber County dispatchers at 801-395-8221.
Riverdale police said they did not issue an Amber Alert for Kai as they don't have an identified suspect yet.
Contributing: Alex Cabrero
Correction: A previous version of this article said the host family last heard Kai early Friday morning. He was last heard early Thursday morning.
