Missing Miramar Teen Found Unharmed

17-year-old ran away from home, found at friend's apartment: Police

After nearly a week of searching, authorities say a Miramar teen who went missing after school has been found safe, police said Wednesday.

Naketa Leiba, 17, was found by detectives at an apartment in the 8400 block of Sherman Circle in Miramar, Miramar Police spokeswoman Tania Rues said.

The teen, who went missing on Feb. 1, had been staying with her 18-year-old friend and told police she ran away from home and didn't want to be found, Rues said.

Leiba was reunited with her parents, who led a massive search for her over the past week.
 
Mother Sharon Leiba said her daughter had called her to pick her up from her bus stop near the 6800 block of Southwest 34th Street last Wednesday afternoon, about a mile away from home, but her mom couldn’t and asked her to walk.

She said Friday that when she called her daughter at about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday, she said, "'Oh, Mom, I'm on the way.' And when I heard 'on the way,' I heard a crackle or something and then her phone went dead."

Police said on Thursday, Leiba called her mother and told her not to look for her. Miramar Police didn't disclose this because they were tracking the teen's phone, Rues said.

Rues said the mother and daughter had issues in the past and that the parents had failed to mention were getting a divorce that was recently finalized.

Miramar Police were joined by the FBI in the search for the girl. Hundreds of hours and man power were dedicated to the search, which included four full-time detectives, and cost tens of thousands of dollars, Rues said.

No one will be charged at this time, Rues said.

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