Missing Teen Kara Alongi Found Safe After Twitter Hoax

Missing teen Kara Alongi was found safe on Wednesday after she caused a firestorm on Twitter by writing a fake plea for help. The New Jersey teen tweeted that someone was in her house on Sunday, but investigators uncovered the ruse, saying that Alongi actually ran away.

Clark Police Chief Alan Scherb noted that troopers found the 16-year-old walking on the New Jersey Turnpike on Tuesday in Carneys Point, New Jersey, reports CBS News.

Investigators are trying to find out where the teen has been for the past two days. Alongi was last seen on Sunday when she skipped her brother’s hockey game, claiming that she had a headache.

Later that evening, the teen wrote on Twitter, “There is somone in my hour ecall (sic) 911,” before reportedly calling a cab that took her to a nearby train station where she purchased a ticket to New York City.

The Examiner notes that the hashtag #HelpFindKara immediately began trending on Twitter as thousands of people re-tweeted Kara’s call for help.

The missing girl’s tweet was shared by almost 34,000 people, but police investigated the alleged intrusion, confirming that her house showed no signs of a break-in.

The missing girl was spotted on a security camera at the train station, purchasing the New York City ticket, making the alleged kidnapping false. A cab driver also confirmed with police that he was called to Alongi’s address about the same time the message was posted on Twitter.

The 16-year-old also failed to call police after posting the message, throwing up a red flag for investigators. People were quick to start a search for the missing teen and also to express their disgust now that her supposed abduction could have been a hoax perpetrated by the teen.