Home Local News Union Co. teen still missing; family ‘in shambles’

Union Co. teen still missing; family ‘in shambles’

Lauren Heath was last seen Oct. 13. Photo courtesy NCMEC

MONROE — The search continues for a Union County teenager who has been missing for nearly two weeks.

According to a press release from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 16-year-old Lauren Alexis Heath was last seen — on the family’s Ring doorbell camera — leaving her Monroe home around 4 p.m. Oct. 13.

The NCMEC says that her family has emphasized that her disappearance is out of character and that she had been looking forward to her school’s homecoming.

Her father, Derrick Heath, is a football coach at Porter Ridge High School, according to WSOC.

“Our family is in shambles because she’s a major part of who we are,” her father said in a press release. “Our hearts are broken, and we will never stop looking for her. We just want her to come home.”

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Home security video shows Lauren Health leaving her Union County home on Oct. 13. Image courtesy NCMEC

According to multiple media reports, fliers have been distributed and billboards have gone up not only in the greater Charlotte area, but also other states.

“Sometimes, when children leave on their own, they have intentions of returning but these kids can get trapped out there and need help,” said Angeline Hartmann, director of communications for NCMEC. “We know that predators groom children in many different ways and if Lauren was somehow lured away, we need to do whatever we can to help get her back home.”

Lauren is described as being 5 feet tall and weighing 100 pounds. She was reportedly last wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, shorts and Converse sneakers.

Anyone with information about her disappearance or location is encouraged to contact the Monroe Police Department at 704-282-4700 or NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678.



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