Police searching for missing Kensington teen

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (Map, News) - Police spent the night searching for a Kensington teen who never showed up for school Wednesday morning and was reported missing later that night, police Chief Greg Harman said Thursday.

Rosie Blanckenburg, 17, left for Berkeley High School on her bicycle about 8 a.m. but never arrived, Harman said.

Her parents began to worry when she didn’t come home at 3:30 p.m., which is unusual for the teen. They contacted Berkeley police about 6:30 p.m. and reported their daughter missing, Harman said.

Rosie is a Type 1 diabetic, Harman said. She receives automatic insulin injections but is due for more insulin this morning.

Berkeley police turned the investigation over to Kensington police about 10 p.m. Wednesday. The Kensington Police Department called in the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office to help with the search.

The sheriff’s office brought a police dog, which was able track Rosie’s path from her house to Colusa Circle, where it lost the scent. Harman said the dog was believed to have been tired because it had been used earlier in the day in a different case. As police were arranging to bring in a second dog, it rained, possibly washing away the scent, Harman said.

Police continued to search throughout the night but found no sign of the girl or her bicycle.

Police set up a command center at 59 Arlington Ave., and officers were meeting with the sheriff’s office’s search and rescue team this morning. Harman said they were discussing whether to launch a full-scale search.

Anyone with information about Rosie’s possible whereabouts is asked to call the Kensington Police Department at (510) 526-4141.

— Bay City News

Advertisement