PORT ANGELES — The family of a 17-year-old Port Angeles girl who has been missing since January is offering $4,000 for information about her whereabouts.
Hannah Hendrickson left her home early Jan. 28 with her dog — a gray chihuahua — and her clothes, said her grandmother, Jan Hendrickson.
After more than two months without any tangible evidence of the teen’s whereabouts, the family has decided to offer a $4,000 reward for information that brings her home, she said.
Hannah is Caucasian, 5-foot-8, weighs 120 pounds and has blond hair and pierced ears, according to Port Angeles police.
Hannah was last known to be wearing black Nike shoes, black yoga pants and a sweatshirt that’s white on top and maroon on the bottom, according to police. She also has a gray peacoat.
“We just want to hear that she’s OK and that she’s OK where she is,” Jan Hendrickson said. “Or has something happened to her that we don’t have a clue about?”
She described the past few months without Hannah as horrendous and said the family doesn’t even know if she’s still in Port Angeles.
“Her mom and her dad love her, and I don’t know if she realizes how much her mom and dad miss her,” she said. “We all miss her very much. We just need to hear something.”
Hannah apparently sent to Peninsula College a “manifesto” regarding why she ran away, saying she left with a friend from school and had no plans of coming back anytime soon, according to police records.
She also left a letter for her sister.
Deputy Chief Jason Viada is urging anyone who sees Hannah to call 9-1-1 immediately and keep her in sight.
Since she was reported missing, callers have told police they saw her, Viada said; however, they waited before calling police or called someone else first, police records show.
“It’s important to call dispatch first and if it’s an emergency, call 9-1-1,” Viada said. “Seeing something you think is important and then calling someone else first drastically lessens the chance police are going to arrive in time.”
He asked that anyone who sees her driving call police immediately and follow her. It is legal to talk on the phone while driving if the driver is talking to dispatch, he said.
Though most sightings were debunked when officers followed up or couldn’t be confirmed, on Feb. 14, an officer believed he spotted her at a restaurant downtown.
When the officer showed photos of Hannah to employees at two restaurants, the employees confirmed that person had been there recently.
Officers contacted Hannah’s twin sister and found that she hadn’t been to those restaurants and had worn different clothes.
Police have searched one Port Angeles home for Hannah twice in connection to her disappearance but have not found her, Viada said.
He said the homeowners consented to the search and that police haven’t had probable cause for a search warrant.
“There has been information regarding suspicions she might have been at a particular house,” Viada said. “It’s not a question of what we believe; it’s a question of what we can prove.
“Obviously, our burden of proof is probable cause.”
The homeowners invited police to look through the house Feb. 2 and Feb. 14. No trace of Hannah was found.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
