Latest news with #FremontPoliceDepartment
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
Missing Teen Girl Found Alive 2 Weeks After Going to Meet Online Contact
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Missing 16-year-old Katie Hong has been found by police in Fremont, California. following a search lasting nearly two weeks. The teenager was found unharmed and safe, said local officers in a press release. Hong was last seen at her home on July 25, and alarms were raised when a note was found saying she was intending to run away to possibly meet an individual or individuals she knew only by online screen names, said police. Why It Matters In 2024, the FBI's National Crime Information Center reported over 533,000 missing person cases across the U.S. This includes nearly 350,000 cases of missing juveniles. In this case authorities were faced with the possibility that Hong had been lured away via online contacts who wished her harm. Her disappearance highlights the need to keep young people safe online. What To Know The Fremont Police Department responded to a report of a missing juvenile at around 8:55 p.m. on July 25, when Hong was reported missing from her family home. The Fremont Police Department located 16-year-old Katie Hong on Thursday, concluding a nearly two-week search after she was last seen at her home on July 25. The Fremont Police Department located 16-year-old Katie Hong on Thursday, concluding a nearly two-week search after she was last seen at her home on July 25. Fremont Police Department Police said a note left behind expressed an intention of "running away" to potentially meet one or multiple online contacts. The note indicated that Hong's online contacts would not provide their real names, according to police. Officials said it does not appear that Hong had met these people prior to her disappearance. Hong was seen on multiple surveillance cameras walking alone from her residence to Irvington Community Park, a location referenced in the note. Police said she was wearing a large, red backpack and carrying what appeared to be a desktop computer. The Fremont Police Department Crimes Against Persons Unit authored multiple search warrants and court orders in connection with this case. The last recorded location of Hong's phone was at Irvington Community Park. Investigators believed she left the phone at the park. Officials said Hong was active on various digital platforms, including gaming platforms. After her disappearance, investigators were unable to locate a digital footprint left directly by Hong. Police said she was believed to be "voluntarily missing," but at risk "based on current circumstances." Newsweek reached out to the Fremont Police Department for comment. Hong's family publicly sought assistance as the search continued, creating a GoFundMe to help cover legal costs, counseling for Hong's sister and daily living expenses. The fundraiser collected over $70,000. The family said it will return the donations. "Since she has returned, we feel that it would be more appropriate to return your donations back to you. We are simply grateful that she is home safe and unharmed," James Han, a relative of Hong, said in a GoFundMe update. What People Are Saying Fremont Police Department, on X: "We are relieved to share that missing juvenile Katie Hong has been located this afternoon (August 7, 2025). She is unharmed and safe, pending to be reunited with her family. We are grateful for everyone's support and assistance during the search." James Han, relative of Hong, in a GoFundMe update: "Praise God! We just got word that the police found Katie! Safe and unharmed! So grateful! Thank you all! This would not have been possible without you." What Happens Next The Fremont Police Department said more details will be shared as they become available. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Missing Fremont teen found after almost two weeks
A 16-year-old Fremont girl missing for almost two weeks was found alive Thursday afternoon, police said. Authorities said Katie Hong was found unharmed and safe and would be reunited with her family after she went missing July 25. It was not immediately clear how and where Katie was found. Katie was last spotted at a gas station on the corner of Blacow Road and Grimmer Boulevard walking south toward Irvington Community Park, police said. Investigators believed that Katie had run away to meet online associates, after they found a note written by her expressing her intention of running away to meet people who she knew only by 'online screen names,' according to a Fremont Police Department press release last Thursday. To find Katie, police relied on multiple search warrants and tried tracing her digital footprint. But at the end of last week, investigators said that they believed Katie was 'voluntarily' missing. In the wake of her disappearance, Katie's family started a GoFundMe campaign to hire private investigators, and to raise counseling support for her younger sister. Both of her parents, who are deaf, also stepped away from work to search for Katie, according to the GoFundMe page. "Praise God! We just got word that the police found Katie! Safe and unharmed! So grateful! Thank you all! This would not have been possible without you," James Han, Katie's uncle, wrote in an update to the campaign. No other information was immediately available.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Who stole the tree? Bizarre crime reported at presidential library in Ohio
FREMONT, Ohio (WCMH) — An unexpected crime has occurred at the former Ohio home of the 19th President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes. The estate, known as Spiegel Grove, is the location of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums and its grounds host an accredited arboretum featuring more than 1,700 trees. According to a news release from the organization, one of those trees — a tiny bristlecone pine — was stolen. Incidents of cars into buildings seems to be climbing in Columbus The unusual evergreen was the only one of its kind at The Grove, a level II arboretum with more than 100 species of trees and woody plants. The organization noted that bristlecone pines are among the 'oldest-known living things on earth' and can 'live 4,000 to 5,000 years.' The tree, reportedly pulled out of the ground, was planted as a seedling on Arbor Day 2021 as part of the strategically planted and cataloged collection on the historic property. Fremont police were notified of the theft, which is believed to have been perpetrated by someone trespassing around 1:30 a.m. on May 15. The grounds crew took extra care to protect the tree by placing rocks around it to keep it from being disturbed near the front parking lot. Additionally, the tree added a charm to the property during the holidays, as its decoration of one red bulb gave it a 'Charlie Brown Tree' effect. $4.7 million awarded to 3 central Ohio cities to improve bike, pedestrian infrastructure Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fremont Police Department at 419-332-6464 or Hayes Presidential Building and Grounds Superintendent John Havens at 419-332-2081. The Hayes Presidential Library became the first presidential library in the U.S. and was the model for the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and is affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Non-verbal missing man last seen in Fremont
(KRON) — The Fremont Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing at-risk man who is deaf and non-verbal, authorities announced Tuesday. Edwin Castillo, 21, was last seen Monday around 5 p.m. in Fremont, police said. Castillo was wearing all black and riding a green bicycle. Castillo is described as a Hispanic man who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds. Anyone with information to assist in locating Castillo is asked to call 911 or the Fremont Police Department at 510-790-6800, option 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-04-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Grisly animal remains at Bay Area train station identified as sheep; no crime suspected
Fremont police confirmed Tuesday that animal remains discovered at a local train station last week have been identified as two sheep, and no foul play is suspected. The remains were first reported on April 13, when Amtrak police contacted the Fremont Police Department after finding bags containing 'decapitated and eviscerated' animals left on a bench at the Centerville Train Station. At the time, authorities were unable to identify the species and considered the circumstances potentially suspicious. An investigation was launched, and a forensic veterinarian was called to assist. However, the initial examination was inconclusive. As a follow-up, the remains were sent to a specialized facility for DNA analysis. On Tuesday, police reported that testing conducted by a forensic veterinarian at UC Davis identified the remains as those of two Dorper sheep, a common livestock breed. 'Further investigation has not revealed any evidence of nefarious or ritualistic activity,' the Fremont Police Department said in a statement. 'The case is being suspended as there is no finding of a crime.'
