Miami Police Searching For Missing Teen

Sixteen-year-old Karina Cisneros is the apple of her parent's eyes. She is an honor roll student whose many school certificates and plaques decorate the family home that she vanished from Monday.

"She is my only daughter, and you can imagine how we feel. She is an excellent girl. She is so sweet. She is an excellent student," said her mother Zoila Matienzo.

Monday, Matienzo came back from an appointment to an empty house. Her daughter was nowhere to be found. She'd left all her clothes and belongings intact. Then Tuesday, she got a heartbreaking phone call from her daughter.

"Mommy, I am ok, don't worry, I am ok. When I tried to speak more, She hang(sic) up," Matienzo said.

Miami Police and Karina's parents said the teen may be with Javier Pperaza, the teen's former social studies teacher at Kinlock Park Middle School. Sources told NBC6 he was removed from that position in February. Karina is now in 10th.

Two months ago, her parents say they discovered the two had been texting regularly.

"I am doing this because I want her to come back. I am doing this because I am afraid that maybe they decided to go abroad," Matienzo says.

Karina took her passport, license and Social Security card with her, according to her parents. Though Matienzo had left about $1,000 in cash on the kitchen table, Karina did not touch it.

"How a girl can live outside, without clothes without money?" she asked.

Among the items the teen left behind, a picture of her former teacher. Now parents who say they did everything they could to keep her safe, including alerting authorities when they found out about the texts, and home schooling the child for the last two months are asking for your help to bring their daughter home.

"If someone sees them, please call the police," Matienzo said.

The teen was last seen at her home near the intersection of SW 40th Avenue and SW 2nd Terrace. She was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt. She is about 5'4 and weighs approximately 115 pounds.

If you have any information that can help police, you're urged to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).

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