Florida Amber Alert issued for missing teenager since 2019



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She was last seen in October 2019, but on Friday evening an Amber Alert from Florida was issued for a 17-year-old girl reported missing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, due to what investigators called cases of “unique circumstances”.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Daphne Westbrook did not return in October 2019 from a weekend visit with her non-custodial father, John Westbrook. The agency says that in June 2020, authorities in Hamilton County in Tennessee obtained an arrest warrant for John Westbrook, accusing him of interference with detention.

The following October, the TBI said, the teenager was placed on its missing children website.

Most recently, on February 23, 2021, a Hamilton County grand jury charged John Westbrook with aggravated kidnapping related to the 17-year-old’s disappearance.

“We are issuing our AMBER Alert now, as an arrest warrant has been issued for an eligible crime in Tennessee, and in the hope that – if there is any evidence that puts her and John in another state – that state will be able to to issue an AMBER alert more quickly, ”the TBI said on Twitter.

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“We have recent information revealed that she (Daphne Westbrook) is drugged and stocked with alcohol,” said Neal Pinkston, the Hamilton County District Attorney. “She has also expressed very recent thoughts of suicide and has a history of self-harm.”

The most recent information from the research, according to the TBI, likely puts them in Florida a week ago. The Hamilton District Attorney said a sighting was reported at Fort Walton Beach on March 6. A witness also described a Volkswagen Beetle.

“Details of his vehicle had never been released, and they gave us details of his vehicle,” said Pinkston.

Below is a photo of the 1971 Volkswagen Beetle in which authorities have said they could travel. It has no license plate or windshield.

Photo provided by the Tennessee District Attorney.

Pinkston also believes they could have visited the Highlands County area, claiming John Westbrook has a sister in the area. He said Westbrook is hard to follow and is an IT and security expert.

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“He’s hid his identity and hers by voice over IP phone numbers, email addresses and things of that nature, and he’s keeping it hidden. So when you ask the public if they’ve seen her, most likely, due to what we’ve been dealing with the pandemic, they probably haven’t seen her, ”Pinkston said.

Authorities believe John Westbrook may also have traveled to the western United States with Daphne Westbrook. He has known contacts in Colorado, New Mexico, California and Washington.

“They could, however, be anywhere,” the TBI wrote. “And in recent weeks, the evidence uncovered during the John Westbrook investigation has led authorities to become increasingly concerned for Daphne’s well-being.

Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.



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