Father of missing teen Jayla Anguiano believes she was not abducted, disappeared voluntarily
BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) - Police and family members continue the search for 16-year-old Jayla Anguiano, who was last seen by her dad on August 11.
[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Teen going to see Barbie with friends last seen at the Boardwalk in Bossier City]
Roberto Peterson, Jayla’s dad, says he dropped his daughter off at the movies at the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets in Bossier City nearly two weeks ago. According to Peterson, he isn’t entirely sure who Jayla went to meet at the movies but assumed she would be meeting friends there.
He’s unsure if Jayla even made it inside the theatre or not due to the distance from the parking lot and the movie theatre’s entrance.
“I’m suffering real bad. I cannot sleep. I have no appetite to eat or anything,” Peterson lamented.
When KSLA News 12 initially spoke with Peterson August 19, he said he didn’t know if Jayla had been abducted or not.
“I don’t know if she’s been abducted. I got no idea; I don’t know if she’s dead or alive. Persuasion got her where she’s at right now. Somebody persuaded her to deal with them for some particular reason,” Peterson told KSLA during the initial interview.
He also stated that his daughter is a good kid and honor roll student who’s received many academic awards. Peterson claimed Jayla would never leave on her own.
Now, four days later, he claims that he believes Jayla ran away from home.
“I believe she did volunteer and runaway,” Peterson said.
Peterson says Jayla has disappeared several times in the past, and he doesn’t believe she’s in any danger.
“Nobody abducted her. She had left, they caught her, and she came back home. And now, she’s doing the same thing again,” he said. “That’s why I’m saying she not abducted. That’s twice in less than a month.”
Family members plan to continue searching and are keeping hope that Jayla will prayerfully return home soon.
Bossier City police say they are still actively investigating and searching for the missing teen.
Anyone with information about Jayla’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact Bossier City police.
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