Volunteers step in to help find missing teen
The family of a teenage girl who has been missing since Wednesday is offering a reward for information as they continue to search for her.
Nekita Leiba, 17, was last seen Wednesday afternoon. Her school bus from South Broward High School dropped her off in the 6800 block of Southwest 34th Avenue in Miramar, near where her mother, Sharon Leiba, works as a teacher. Sharon Leiba was delayed for a few minutes, and Nekita told her she would walk.
When Sharon Leiba called to check up on her daughter at about 4 p.m., the call dropped. Her mother kept trying to call her back.
“Did it again, nothing. Did it again, nothing. That was the last time I heard from my baby,” Leiba said.
No one has seen or heard from Nekita Leiba since that afternoon.
"No texts, no tweets, nothing – it’s like she just fell off the face of the earth," Leiba said.
On Monday, the search moved to the area of Pembroke Road and 52nd Avenue in Hollywood, the last spot where her cellphone was tracked.
The teen's parents are adamant that Nekita, an honor student, didn't just walk away.
"She's not this runaway that the first impression was," Sharon Leiba said.
"She tweeted that, 'I'm on my way home.' She called me and asked me to pick her up from the bus stop," Sharon Leiba said. "That would not be someone that would want to not come home."
Fliers have been posted in restaurants, tax offices and on the Leiba family car, and an Internet radio show spoke about the missing teen.
Nekita Leiba's parents joined volunteers Monday morning to hand out fliers on Pembroke Road.
"I just want to bring awareness to the public that this is a child that is abducted. This is a child that’s being held against her will."
Police have pounded the pavement for more than 100 hours and the Guardian Angles have sent in people all the way from New York City. Even complete strangers have stepped in.
"I seen it on TV and heard people talking about it," 17-year old volunteer Sashine Ali said. "I put myself in her place...I put myself in her shoes and want to help."
Sharon Leiba traced her daughter's footsteps on Monday, with the bus stop as a priority.
"Someone must have seen something when she got off the bus, so I just want to target the direct area where she walked all the way down to the main street," she said.
Nekita Leiba is 5 feet 2 inches tall and about 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing a short-sleeved red shirt from Abercrombie & Fitch and blue jeans.
"I will never, ever lose hope. We're bringing her home," Sharon Leiba said. "We are bringing her home."
In addition to the $1,000 Crime Stoppers reward, Nekita Leiba's family is offering an additional $2,000 reward for information.
