Missing eighteen-year-old Patricia Goffe of Stokes Valley was seen last night in Cuba Street, central Wellington, and appeared to be safe and well.
A Stokes Valley resident who knows her by sight has contacted police this morning to say Patricia was walking with another girl about the same age near The Matterhorn bar in Cuba Street at 5.10pm. She appeared to be safe and well. Attempts to access her bank accounts have also been logged in the central city.
Police urge Patricia or the friends she is with to contact Lower Hutt Police who hold the missing persons file on the teenager or for Patricia to get in touch with her parents.
Patricia is Maori/European, average height and dark brown hair streaked red and blonde. She has black three quarter pants, a black shoulder bag, and both a black fleecy top and a light coloured jacket with black and white stripes near the shoulder.
Patricia hasn't been in touch with family since she left Wellington Central Police Station shortly after 2am on Monday, 9 February, after asking police for a ride home from the city to her Stokes Valley home. She was reported missing by her parents to Lower Hutt Police on Wednesday.
Inspector Mike Hill, Wellington City Area Police Commander, said police offered a range of transport options to Patricia and her parents early on Monday morning.
"We did everything we could to help including talking with the family to see if they or friends could pick her up. We were advised this was not possible. We considered taking her to Lower Hutt Police Station if a patrol car became available but all our patrols were busy with emergency calls for service including an armed robbery in the city."
It was suggested Patricia wait in the watchhouse until she could return to friends in Newtown where she had spent the weekend. However Patricia chose to leave.
"The safety of people is important to us," Inspector Hill said. "Our people did their best to help but the reality is that we cannot readily free up response patrol cars to take someone home from Wellington city to Stokes Valley at that time of the day without compromising our ability to respond to emergency calls for help.
"Patricia did not appear distressed or concerned when she was in the station. She made the decision to leave when she did."
"People including young adults choose to leave home for a few days for a range of reasons. The indications are that Patricia is safe and with friends in the city but we hope she does contact us or her family. They're concerned as are we and all of us would like to see her back at home."
Police also encourage young people and their families to ensure they have transport arrangements in place before they go out socialising.
Ends
released by:
Kaye Calder
Wellington Police District communications manager
tel 04 496 3464