Police ask the public to help locate Surabie Sosanvongsa
SHAFTER, Calif. — The Shafter Police Department is asking the public to help locate a missing 15-year-old girl who was last seen Wednesday afternoon entering an older-model brown van in a residential area.
Police identified the teenager as Surabie Sosanvongsa. The department said she was last seen at approximately 4:28 p.m. on August 26 in the 3300 block of Rustic Woods Lane in Shafter.
The public appeal remained active Friday evening. No official notice reviewed as of 7:17 p.m. Friday said Surabie had been located.
Read the source: Shafter Police Department: Official missing-person alert ↗
Last-seen clothing and physical description
Surabie was last seen wearing a gray shirt, black shorts and sandals, according to Shafter police. She is described as approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall and 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The department's official photograph accompanies this report so residents can compare it with anyone they may have seen near Rustic Woods Lane, inside a vehicle or elsewhere after Wednesday afternoon.
Anyone sharing the alert should use the current police photograph and identifying information. Reposted images can lose important details, and unofficial additions may interfere with accurate tips.
Read the source: City of Shafter: Police missing-person alert ↗
What police have—and have not—said about the van
Police described the vehicle as a brown, older-model van. The department has not publicly released a license-plate number, make, model, driver description or direction of travel in the information reviewed for this report.
Authorities have not said whether Surabie knew the driver or whether she entered the van voluntarily. They also have not publicly classified the case as an abduction. Claims about the driver or the circumstances would be speculation unless police release additional evidence.
The fact that police are seeking public assistance means sightings and vehicle information may be useful, but residents should not confront a driver or attempt to conduct their own investigation.
Read the source: BakersfieldNow: Shafter police seek missing 15-year-old ↗
How to report information
Anyone with information about Surabie's whereabouts, the brown van or activity near the 3300 block of Rustic Woods Lane around 4:28 p.m. Wednesday should call the Shafter Police Department at (661) 746-8500.
People reporting a possible sighting should be prepared to provide the time, location, direction of travel, vehicle description and any safely observed license-plate information. Photographs or video should be preserved in their original form rather than edited or repeatedly compressed.
Anyone who sees Surabie and believes she faces an immediate threat should call 911. What’s the Scoop With Broach will update this report when Shafter police announce a confirmed development.
Read the source: Shafter Police Department: Main department information ↗
Sources and further reading
Shafter Police Department: Official missing-person alert ↗
City of Shafter: Police missing-person alert ↗