Erika VonDwingelo Found Safe: Connecticut Teen Who Went Missing After Blind Date Found Safe

Erika VonDwingelo went missing after a blind date, causing her family and friends to worry. According to the SpreadIt, the Connecticut teen was found safe days later. The 19-year-old went on a date with a man that she “met” on social media on New Year’s Eve, but didn’t return home that night — or the next day. Police in Connecticut said that VonDwingelo was found safe on January 2, but no further details were given.

At this point, it is unknown if the 19-year-old wanted to spend some extra time with her date (whose name is Chris), or if she just wanted to get away from home for a while. She shut her phone off, and didn’t call anyone to let her know where she was, something her dad said is unlike her.

After Erika VonDwingelo went missing, her dad spoke with the media, hoping for the best.

“I just want my daughter home… She usually calls me every day… she usually lets us know where she is. Hopefully she just met this guy and they hit it off and she didn’t want to come home.”

The VonDwingelo family is very lucky that Erika was okay. Meeting someone off of the internet can be dangerous, and sometimes stories like this don’t have a happy ending. Naturally, there are stories of people who meet online that do end up getting married, but it’s unknown if Erika and Chris had a really strong connection. At this point, Erika’s family is just happy to have her home. The details of her date are her business.

According to the Heavy, it’s unknown if there was any foul play involved in Erika’s disappearance. It is also unclear if police are still investigating the case, of if this was simply a misunderstanding of some kind. The most important thing is that Erika is safe.

Erika VonDwingelo isn’t the only missing teen to make headlines this week. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Leah Costa, 15, from Arizona went missing on Christmas eve. According to the report, Costa was still missing as of Dec. 28. Police have asked for the public’s help in locating her.

“Buckeye Police are asking members of the public to please call 623-349-6400 if anyone sees any sign of her. Costa stands 5ft 3in. tall and weighs 187 pounds with dark hair. She was last seen wearing jeans and a red or blue-plaid shirt over a dark tank top.”

[Photo courtesy of Facebook]