Girl lost and found


By ANDREW M. SCUTRO
Express Staff Writer

a29girl3.gif (14345 bytes)For a week, Hailey police detective Dave Stellers , right, the FBI and police in California sought a Hailey girl who allegedly ran away from home. Wood River High School student Brandy L. Preissman was found in Fairfield yesterday after reportedly leaving the valley April 20.

A 14-year-old girl, who left Hailey a week ago and was thought to have hitchhiked to California to find an Internet pen-pal, returned home yesterday.

Brandy L. Preissman of Hailey was last seen at Wood River High School on April 20. She was back in Hailey this week.

"Today it feels incredible," said Sharon Preissman, Brandy’s thankful mother, during a telephone on Tuesday morning. "We couldn’t be happier."

Brandy, who was not able to talk on the phone, was in Fairfield the whole time, according to her mother.

She hitchhiked there, became sick, and was cared for by a Fairfield family who did not know she was missing, Preissman said. "She was never in any danger."

As for reports that Brandy had been en route to California, Preissman said, "She didn’t really intend to go there."

Police are still investigating how far Brandy traveled.

On Tuesday morning, Hailey police detective Dave Stellers said he is still pursuing leads.

He has been pursuing leads since shortly after Brandy disappeared. She went to school that day, but reportedly left around 10: 30 in the morning.

Brandy’s mother reported her missing that night.

A search of Brandy’s electronic mail records the next day revealed she may have contacted a man in Rancho Cordova, Calif., through an Internet chat room, and could be en route, according to police.

Using that information, the Hailey Police Department sent missing person fliers to police agencies and television stations between Idaho and Sacramento. An FBI agent and the National Center for Missing and exploited Children were also working on the case.

A deputy from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office interviewed the Rancho Cordova man and searched his home, but there was no sign of Brandy.

Earlier this week, Stellers was handling reports of sightings.

A waitress at the Pilot truck stop in Mountain Home reportedly saw Brandy at 5:30 p.m. April 20, the day she left.

Television and print news reports in the Sacramento area produced some leads for police.

One man reported seeing Brandy in Lodi, Calif., about 50 miles south of Rancho Cordova Sunday morning.

A report from Burns, Ore., had Brandy at truck stop there, looking for a ride to California.

There was also a reported sighting from Auburn, Calif.

None of the sightings were verified.

Tuesday morning, Camas County Sheriff Harold Lee followed a tip and found Brandy in Fairfield.

 

 Back to Front Page
Copyright © 1998 Express Publishing Inc. All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited.