NEED TO KNOW
Since late July, a dozen children have been reported missing in North Dakota and nine have still not been located
Agent Steven Harstad of the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation told The Forum the rise is "concerning"
The cases are not believed to be related
Since late July, nearly a dozen children and teenagers have gone missing in North Dakota.
The North Dakota Attorney General's Office missing person's registry lists that nine juveniles remain missing, with the longest stint being since July 28.
The Forum first reported that a dozen children had gone missing since late July, though some have either been located or are no longer in the registry.
The two most recent children to have gone missing were reported on Sunday, Aug. 17.
"That feels like a lot when you say it out loud," Agent Steven Harstad of the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation told the The Forum, noting that the number was an uptick, which he called "concerning."
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However, Harstad does not believe the cases have any connection.
But he did tell the paper that it's possible the true number could be higher, noting that some runaways are not always reported missing.
"A lot of times, a runaway is not even reported to law enforcement because they have come back in the past," he told the paper. "But even if that child has run away 20 times, the 21st time might be the time they've gotten into a bad situation."
According to the state registry, the most recent person to go missing was 16-year-old Alexa Taylor, who was last seen on Aug. 17.
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