An urgent search is underway for 12-year-old Teriana Mahomes, who has been declared missing in Long Beach since last Wednesday afternoon, as noted in a joint effort by two law enforcement agencies issuing simultaneous alerts. The CBS News Los Angeles report detailed that alongside the Los Angeles Police Department's Ebony Alert, the California Highway Patrol has put forth an Amber Alert to escalate the search.
Teriana was last seen in the presence of her mother's boyfriend, 42-year-old Clark Thomas Wheeler, near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Artesia Boulevard, according to a description released by the Los Angeles Police Department and conveyed by ABC7. In their public appeal, they specify she stands at 4 feet, 6 inches tall, weighs 90 pounds, and was last clothed in a black-and-white checkered shirt, black jean shorts, and white shoes; Teriana has a thin build, black hair, and brown eyes, it's essential to locate this girl speedily, safely and authorities urge anyone with any information to step forward.
Distress echoes from the family's pleas, with Teriana's mother, Theresa Mahomes, expressing deep concern for her child's absence in a poignant interview. "She’s friendly, she’s nice, she loves to dance," she described to FOX 11, "I just want her to come back. I just want her to come back home." Theresa Mahomes' distress is amplified by the uncertainty as to why Wheeler would have taken Teriana and the fervent hope featured in her message: "Mommy loves her," she stated, "I just pray that they release her and for her to be safe. For her to just come back to me, her sister, and her family."
Details regarding the suspect, Wheeler, include his height of 5 feet 7 inches and a weight of approximately 140 pounds, as per the latest information provided by the authorities and shared by KTLA, he was last spotted wearing a black jacket, black shirt, and black pants, and the continued shared investment by both law enforcement and the community is critical in these pivotal moments following Teriana's disappearance. As part of the concerted effort to find Teriana, anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts can contact Detective Juarez with the LAPD’s Southeast Division at 213-972-7858 or during non-business hours and on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-527-3247 while tips can also be submitted anonymously through L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or their website.
