Missing teen search continues
By Melody Brown-Peyton
Published in News on July 29, 2018 3:05 AM
Officers are seeking information about a person of interest identified in this photo.
Full Size
Ashanti Harper
Wayne County sheriff deputies have identified a person of interest related to a missing teenager officers believe ran away from home last weekend.
The sheriff's office recently released photos of a man who may be connected to the missing teen, Ashanti Dyzare Harper.
The 15-year-old has been missing since July 22. Deputies say Harper went missing around 2 a.m. while her aunt was at work.
Harper's family believes she had been in communication with an unknown black male whom she met on Instagram. Family members said the male told Harper that he is 17 years old.
Deputies released photos late Thursday in an effort to generate leads in the case.
Harper is described as a black female standing around 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 110 pounds. She has a light complexion with long black hair extensions and was last seen wearing a pink coat and dark pants.
The male is described as tall and skinny, with a lot of tattoos.
Before she went missing, Harper was staying with her aunt for the summer. She is a military dependent and has lived in New Jersey and Fayetteville. Her family and friends have not seen or heard from her since July 22 and her Instagram and Snapchat accounts have been closed or restricted, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Anyone with information about Harper or who can identify the person in the photographs is asked to call the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 919-731-1480, Detective Pat Matthews at 919-731-1393 or Crime Stoppers at 919-735-2255.