Copperas Cove teen reported missing; PD investigating | Local News | #childsafety | #kids | #chldern | #parents | #schoolsafey

Christopher Morello told the Herald Tuesday that the family believes she may have been picked up by a person she met while playing “World of Warcraft,” an online video game.

“Kahlan is believed to have been picked up by an unidentified white male in an unidentified vehicle,” Copperas Cove police said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. “Kahlan was believed to have been communicating through a social media website with the unidentified male. The unknown male is believed to be around 30 years of age and not a local resident.”

Capt. Gabriel Cardona of the Copperas Cove Police Department told the Herald Tuesday via email that the department requested an Amber Alert be issued for the teenager, but the Texas Department of Public Safety said the case did not meet the Amber Alert’s criteria.

“All missing persons/runaway cases are assigned to a Detective to investigate, as was the case in this instance,” Cardona said. “The assigned Detective is actively investigating and following up on any potential leads. A request was submitted to DPS for an Amber Alert, but DPS advised this specific case did not meet the criteria for such an alert.”

Cardona said the criteria for issuing an Amber Alert, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, include:

• The child is under 17 years of age or younger, whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose disappearance law enforcement has determined to be unwilling, which poses a credible threat to the child’s safety and health;
• The child is in immediate danger of sexual assault, death or serious bodily injury
• A preliminary investigation verified the abduction and eliminated the alternative explanations for the child’s disappearance
• Is sufficient information available to disseminate to the public to help locate the child, a suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction

Friends of the family are asking anyone who lives on or around Risen Star Lane in Copperas Cove to check their cameras to see if there are any clues to assist police.

Her father told the Herald Tuesday afternoon that the family lives on Judy Lane, but he and his family believes she was picked up on Risen Star Lane.

Anyone with information should contact the Copperas Cove Police Department at 254-547-8222.