Police Searching for Missing 12-Year-Old Girl

A 12-year-old girl ran away from her Monrovia foster home Wednesday and police are asking for the public's help in finding her.

Samantha Lee Myles was reported missing from her foster home in the 500 block of East Walnut Avenue just after 8 p.m. Wednesday. Her disappearance was preceded by an argument she had with other foster children, Monrovia Police Lt. Nels Ortlund said.

"The foster home has several children in it and there was some kind of argument between kids," Ortlund said. "The foster parents are not exactly sure what the real reason is because she left before they could talk to her."

Myles had previously run away from a foster home in Costa Mesa and had an outstanding protective custody warrant issued for her, Ortlund said. A countywide missing persons alert was sent out to other law enforcement agencies, he said.

Myles, who is African American, is described as being 5-foot-5-inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds. She had her hair in braids and was wearing a black t-shirt, gray hooded sweatshirt, blue Capri pants, flip flops and hoop earrings at the time she went missing. Police have so far been unable to obtain a photograph of her.

"Unfortunately the reporting party didn’t have any pictures of her," Ortlund said. "I guess because she’s caught between (foster) homes in the past."

A Foothill Transit Authority bus driver reported seeing a girl matching Myles' description on her bus Thursday morning. The girl exited at a Monrovia stop and police are investigating whether that girl was in fact Myles.

Ortlund asked anyone with information about Myles' whereabouts to contact the department's watch commander at 626-256-8000.