A 16-year-old Pontiac boy reported as a runaway is the subject of an active search by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, which is asking the public for help tracking him down. Curt Fletcher Cole Jr. may be somewhere in the area of Kentucky Street in Detroit, where deputies say he has family connections.
Deputies Point to Detroit Family Ties
According to The Oakland Press, deputies say Cole may be in the vicinity of Kentucky Street because he has relatives in that part of Detroit. The sheriff's office is asking residents in that neighborhood, along with anyone who has been in recent contact with Cole, to call 248-858-4950 with information.
The outlet describes Cole as standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 180 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair styled in black dreadlocks. When he went missing, he was wearing all-black clothing and black shoes and was carrying a black backpack, per the same report. A photo shared by the sheriff's office shows Cole's likeness to help the public identify him.
Recent Shift to Online Schooling
Cole had been a student at Mumford High School in Detroit as recently as September 23, the report notes, before transitioning to online schooling on October 19. He left home on October 30, 11 days later.
A Similar Search Weeks Earlier
Cole's case follows a separate missing-person search in Pontiac just weeks earlier. In September, police sought information about 17-year-old Jabrale Narajae Brown, who, according to clickondetroit.com, left his residence on Newman Lane in Pontiac and did not return home. Brown was last seen wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black-and-green shorts and carrying a blue backpack, and the outlet reported that tipsters could reach the Oakland County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up. While the two cases are separate and do not establish any broader pattern, both underscore how quickly local authorities turn to the public for help locating missing teens in the area.
Anyone with information about Curt Fletcher Cole Jr.'s whereabouts is urged to contact the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
