The family of a thirteen-year-old British girl is fearing the worst after she disappeared following a trip to the shops while visiting her grandmother in Trinidad, amid concerns she may have been abducted.
Delika White Lezama, of Greenford, London, disappeared while on a trip with her mother and brother to the Caribbean on December 17.
Desperate relatives have been unsuccessfully trying to contact her by phone and searching for her ever since, and are now fearing for her safety.
Delika’s aunt, Melanie Moore, told The Mirror she hopes Delika has ‘run away’ and shows up safely, adding: ‘Otherwise it’s not going to be good.’
Delika White Lezama, 13, of Greenford, London, disappeared while on a trip with her mother and brother to Trinidad to visit her grandmother
Delika was last seen wearing a pink top and black skirt, and had recently removed her braids
The teenager was last seen on a back road after going to a corner shop to buy a SIM card for her phone near her grandmother’s house in Sangre Grande town at around 4pm.
According to The Mirror, Delika’s family desperately began searching for her after realising she had not come home ten minutes later, but were unable to locate her.
Police officers from the local force’s anti-kidnapping unit are searching for her, whose family has been receiving support from the UK foreign office.
Meanwhile, Delika’s family has also made repeated appeals to find her on social media, saying they are ‘beyond desperate’.
Ms Moore said Delika’s mother, Delia White, is ‘looking everywhere she can’, and is deeply upset.
She added: ‘I’m just praying for her safe return. A lot of time has passed in between, which is not a great thing for anybody.
‘At this point I’m hoping that she’s run away and will come back before her plane ticket runs out. That’s the best case scenario. Otherwise it’s not going to be good.’
The teenager was last seen on a back road after going to a corner shop near her grandmother’s house in Sangre Grande town, pictured, at around 4pm on December 17
The teenager’s mother said the family began a manic search when her daughter failed to return home
Ms Moore said she and other relatives have repeatedly sent messages and tried to call Delika’s phone, but despite being delivered it appears she has not read any of them.
Her aunt began messaging her at midnight after she disappeared.
She added Delika’s mother is ‘very protective over her children’, especially when on holiday, saying: ‘It’s not like she goes out and does many things on her own.’
Delika’s mother, Delia White, told the paper: ‘She didn’t seem upset or angry when she left – there was nothing that would have made her run away.
‘I can’t think of anyone who could abduct her in particular, but everyone knows us, the whole community knows us, and that I come and go from the UK to see my mum all the time.
‘My seven-year-old son is here as well, and I’m just trying to stay strong for him. At the moment I don’t have the energy even just to say how I’m feeling.’
Ms White said the family began a manic search when her daughter failed to return home.
She said that CCTV cameras in the area were not working, making it harder to locate her daughter.
After darkness fell, Ms White said: ‘I started to get worried as she doesn’t know the area, she doesn’t really speak the language, so I’m thinking anyone could have seen her or any driver could have picked her up.
‘I don’t know if she went somewhere and got lost.’
Since the teenager’s disappearance, the family have sent several messages addressed to Delika’s phone which have been delivered but not read
Delika is a British national from Greenford, London, and was visiting Trinidad with her mother and brother to see her grandmother
Ms White added that when it got dark she went to the police station to make a report, before driving around and looking for her all through the night.
She explained that her daughter had visited the corner shop to buy a SIM card because she was having trouble with her phone during the holiday.
The shopkeeper confirmed she had attended the store but she was unable to find the card she needed and left.
Since the teenager’s disappearance, police have been tracking down any CCTV footage, and have reportedly searched nearby houses, as well as rivers and bushes, for evidence of what happened to her.
The case is being investigated by the area’s anti-kidnapping unit.
Vallence Rambharat, Captain of Hunters Search and Rescue Team, said: ‘We can confirm that Delika White Lezama is still missing.
‘We can also confirm that investigations are continuing by the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.’
Delika’s older sister has taken to social media to share numerous pictures of her sibling via social media in a bid to help people recognise her.
She recently posted: ‘There are a few different looks she could have right now but we aren’t sure so if you see her or think you’ve seen her call the police. Please.
‘Been just over 2 weeks and she’s still missing. Has anyone seen or know of her whereabouts?
‘If you would like to remain anonymous that’s definitely an option. Family, friends and police will follow any and every lead at this moment in time.
‘Could someone, anyone just stand up with some sort of information please. We are beyond desperate to find her.’
Police said Delika was wearing a pink top, black skirt, and pink and white Nike Air Force trainers at the time of her disappearance. She was also wearing glasses and had recently removed her braids.
Anyone with information on Delika’s whereabouts is urged to contact Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s anti-kidnapping unit, Hunters Search and Rescue Team, Sangre Grande Police Station at 668-2444 or 800-TIPS or the police at 555, 999, 911.
DailyMail
