A 15-year-old Las Cruces girl has been missing since last Monday, and police say she may have gone to stay with friends across the state line in El Paso or at a home she was previously found in Anthony, New Mexico. A’shaya Potter ran away from her home on Kensington Way on November 2, according to local police, and has not been seen since.
Potter is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and approximately 120 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and tattoos on her arms, according to a post from Las Cruces Police on Facebook. Police say she has friends who live in El Paso, Texas, and was previously located at a residence in Anthony, New Mexico, suggesting investigators believe she may have returned to one of those areas.
Anyone with information about Potter’s whereabouts is asked to call their local police department or 575-526-0795. Officers also issued a pointed warning alongside the appeal for tips: anyone who intentionally harbors a wanted person could face a felony charge, according to the department’s post.
A Warning Rooted in Recent Local Cases
That caution echoes other cases that have played out in Las Cruces this year. In September, a woman and her mother were charged after police said they knowingly let a 15-year-old runaway live in their home for months, according to KFOX. The station reported both women faced felony charges tied to harboring the teen.
In a related case covered by KRQE, police said they executed a search warrant at a home on September 11 and found a teenage runaway hiding in a closet. The supplied evidence does not establish any connection between that case and Potter’s disappearance, but it underscores why Las Cruces police are pairing their search for Potter with a reminder about the legal risk of sheltering a missing minor.
What Happens Next
As of the police department’s post, Potter remained missing, with no update available on whether she has been located. Investigators are continuing to lean on the public for tips, pointing to her possible connections in Anthony and El Paso as the most likely leads in bringing her home.
