Kiely Rodni missing: What we know about disappearance of Truckee teen
TAHOE, Calif. - Search efforts continued Tuesday for missing 16-year-old Kiely Rodni, who vanished three days ago after attending a party at a campground in Truckee.
Several local and state agencies, including the Placer County and Nevada County sheriff's offices, California Highway Patrol, Truckee police, and the FBI, have diverted resources in the search for Kiely.
Her last known whereabouts
Kiely was last seen Saturday near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee at a party attended by 200 to 300 teens and young adults, authorities said.
Her phone has been out of service since and her car, a 2013 silver Honda CRV with license plate No. 8YUR127, has not been found, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said.
The sheriff's office had said they were treating the case as possible abduction because authorities have not been able to find Kiely's car. However, at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Placer County Sgt. Scott Alfred said they are investigating the teen's disappearance as a missing person case.
"This a missing person's case, this is a search and rescue effort," Alfred said, noting that the focus of the investigation is to find Kiely and bring her home.
Alfred said cellular data shows that Kiely's phone was last pinged on Aug. 6 at 12:33 p.m.
Text to mother
Officials are actively working around 200 tips, but none so far have yielded any information beyond that timeline.
Kiely’s friend, Sami Smith, who was at the party with her, said that Kiely was planning to spend the night at the campground.
"I know that she wasn’t in the right mindset or state to drive. And if she were to have driven, she wouldn’t have made it far," Smith told KOVR. "So my concern is that somebody might have offered to drive her home and then didn’t take her home."
She's described as being about 5 feet, 7 inches and 115 pounds with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing green pants and a black tank top. She also has numerous piercings and was wearing jewelry.
The teen's mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, said it's unlike her daughter to run away or not come home.
Rodni-Nieman said her daughter texted her around 12:15 a.m. Saturday and said she was heading home. The family lives about 10 miles away from the campground.
Why hasn't an Amber Alert been issued?
Authorities are exploring all possibilities surrounding the teen's disappearance.
"We're considering everything," Alfred said. "We won't rule anything out"
Though the teen's vehicle has not been accounted for, officials still have not confirmed that she has been abducted.
According to the broadcast alert system's website, an Amber Alert is only issued after law enforcement has confirmed an abduction took place.
"Right now we don't have evidence that supports an abduction," Alfred explained. "If the criteria is met, we get a tip that points us in that direction, we will work with the state and utilize that resource as well."
$50,000 reward offered
Her family is offering a $50,000 reward for Kiely's safe return.
"We just want her home. We're so scared, and we miss her so much. And we love her so much," her mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, said through tears. "Kiely if you see this, please come home. I want nothing more but to hug you.
The teen's friends have created a website, findkiely.com, to share the latest information on her whereabouts and the case.