A Scottsdale father said he hasn’t been able to sleep since his 14-year-old daughter never made it home from the movies Friday night. “I’m very frustrated. I just want my daughter home,” Stephen Bentz said.
Bentz said his daughter, Jessica, was supposed to get a ride from the Harkins Shea 14 Theatres from a friend’s father. Instead, he said, friends told him she got a ride from someone named “Marco” whom nobody knows.
“If the kids say she called some guy named Marco from where she disappeared, why don’t they just go get those phone records and track it down?” Bentz asked.
Scottsdale police spokesman Sgt. Mark Clark said officers have no evidence of a crime, therefore they have to consider her a runaway. Clark said that’s why they cannot have her phone records subpoenaed.
Bentz said his daughter’s cell phone provider, T-Mobile, isn’t helping either, saying a company representative told him to contact the corporate office by regular mail, giving him no phone or fax number.
Bentz said his daughter has contacted him twice. The first time, early Saturday morning in a completely garbled voice.
Then, on Monday, he said he got a call from his daughter from a blocked number. His daughter’s voice sounded despondent again when she said she’d be home soon and hung up.
Bentz said he’s worried for his daughter’s safety because the person who picked her up has to be older since he was driving.
Police said they had 200 similar runaway cases in 2007 and 21 cases, including this one, this year. Clark said there is a team working on Jessica’s case.
If you’ve seen Jessica or know where she is, call Scottsdale police at (480) 312-5000.
