Missing teen in Northern California
The search for missing 16-year-old Kiely Rodni continues after she vanished from the northern California town of Truckee. She was last seen at a party near the Prosser Family Campground between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 6th.
Kiely had texted her mother saying she was planning to attend a party and would return straight home, but “She never came home,” said Kiely’s mother.
After many failed attempts at reaching the teen via her cell phone, it was discovered that her phone had been out of service and untraceable since the time of the party.
According to CNN, the party was held in a campground a few miles north of Lake Tahoe and 36 miles from Reno, Nevada.
Rodni’s friend, Sami Smith, was the last person to speak to her. “She [Kiely] was having a fun time at a party, just being a teenager. Everything she drank, I drank out of, and there was nothing that seemed off about her,” said Smith.
Sheriff’s spokesperson, Angela Musallam, said, “We are treating her disappearance as an abduction right now because we have not been able to locate her vehicle.”
Musallam went on to say there were over 200 people at the party and that “someone knows something.”
The Placer County Sheriff’s office and the California Highway Patrol flew helicopters over the grounds on Tuesday to search for the teen, according to ABC News.
Over 100 volunteers, police, FBI, search and rescue, and canines are looking for Rodni in the area where she was last seen.
The sheriff’s office said, “Despite the numerous resources we have utilized, Kiely and her vehicle are still missing. We are currently coordinating with the California Highway Patrol, Truckee Police, FBI, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office as we continue our search for Kiely.”
Police described the 16-year-old as a white, 5’7” female weighing about 118 pounds. Kiely has blonde hair, hazel eyes, a nose ring, and a tattoo on her ribs.
She was last seen wearing a black spaghetti strap bodysuit, green Dickies brand pants, and black vans. She was driving a 2013 silver Honda CRV.
Image Credit: Placer County Sheriff's Office
On Wednesday evening, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office released new information about an article of clothing Kiely borrowed on August 5. Police don’t know whether she was wearing the hoodie when she went missing, but they believe she may still have it in her possession.
Image Credit: Placer County Sheriff's Office
Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, Kiely’s mother, told KCRA, “My head is all over the place and I’m terrified… But I’m trying to hold out hope, you know, that we’ll find her, that she’ll come home.”
Rodni-Nieman doesn’t believe her daughter ran away because all her belongings are still at home, and it was already out of character for her not to text or call back.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Kiely Rodni is urged to contact police at (530) 581-6320, Option 7 or via email at sheriff_tahoeinvesttips@placer.ca.gov.
Police are also encouraging people who attended the party to send videos or photos that could help the investigation through their anonymous online portal.
Kiely Rodni’s loved ones have created a website called FindKiely.com to help find the teen and a GoFundMe account to fund a reward. As of now, a $50,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to Kiely Rodni’s safe return.
