Loved ones are searching for a missing teenager who was last seen in Downey.
The missing girl, Aleena Garcia, 15, was last seen on Dec. 26 at the Stonewood Center shopping mall, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Garcia had been shopping with her mother and grandmother that day.
After receiving a phone call, Garcia was visibly upset for an unknown reason and walked out of sight, reportedly to exit the mall, her family said.
Since that day, she has remained missing. Loved ones said the teen is very close with her friends and family, but no one has heard from her.
The girl’s mother, Laren Turner, said her daughter had never gone missing before and that “this is very out of character for her.”
Turner is fearful that something may have happened to her daughter.
“I need her home and to know that she is safe,” Laren told the NCMEC. “I love her so much and will not stop looking until she is brought home to me.”
Garcia stands 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.
She has a tattoo of a crown over her right eyebrow, a tattoo saying “Junior” on her left hand, and has dental braces. She was last seen wearing a black jacket, tan pants, and black Nike shoes.
Loved ones have provided several photos of the girl in case the public may have spotted her. Her missing poster is being featured on the Neighbors by Ring app in a partnership between NCMEC and Ring.
Anyone who may have spotted Garcia or knows of her whereabouts is asked to call NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678), the Downey Police Department at 562-861-0771 or the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department at 323-568-4800.
Anonymous tips can be provided to “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. Tips can also be submitted to the NCMEC online here.