ALOHA, Ore. ? Police have found a truck connected to a missing 15-year-old Aloha girl, in a gravel parking lot on Northwest Cornell Road.
The truck belongs to 23-year-old Zachary Petersen, of Pasco, Washington. A backpack that belongs to the missing teen girl was also found inside the truck, which was towed for evidence processing on Monday.
Officers conducted a search of the wooded area where the truck was discovered. The missing girl, Annieka Vaughan, ran away from her home on Oct. 30. Detectives believe Vaughan, an alleged victim of sex abuse, is with Petersen, who is the abuse suspect.
Petersen was reported missing to the Pasco Police Department on Oct. 30. Before he disappeared, Petersen called a crisis phone line. Detectives believe he is suicidal and he has a gun in his possession.
Vaughan is 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds. She has brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes.
Petersen is 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds. He has buzzed brown hair and brown eyes.
Petersen's last known location was in the Portland area.
Detectives believe he may be traveling to Seaside, Ore., or Sacramento, Calif.
Anyone with information about Vaughan or Petersen is asked to call 503-629-0111. Anyone with specific information regarding how long the truck was parked at the location where it was found is asked to contact Portland Police Bureau Detective Heidi Helwig at
heidi.helwig@portlandoregon.gov.