Life on the street / When teens unexpectedly leave home

By Nathan Gonzalez

Farmington Daily Times (Farmington, New Mexico), April 25, 2005

FARMINGTON - Tiffany Merchant was last seen March 28 wearing a blue Dallas Cowboys jacket and jeans. She is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Farmington Police are looking for the 14-year-old, whose mother suspects ran away with an Arizona man more than three weeks ago.

Runaways are not an uncommon problem within the city and detectives are always investigating a case or two, Det. Steven Smith, a school resource officer with Farmington Police, said. But often they return home after a few days.

"It happens, but I wouldn't say it's frequent," Smith said of the runaway problem in the city. "It's more uncommon when they are gone for a while. In this case (Tiffany) has been gone longer than usual."

Merchant's mother, Belinda, said she last spoke to her daughter March 27 and learned Tiffany was staying at the Bluffview Motel with an unidentified 19-year-old man from Phoenix.

"I just want her to be home safe with me. I've been up for four days straight. It's hard when your daughter is missing," Belinda Merchant said.

If a teen runs away from home, parents are advised to notify police and file a missing persons report. Smith said chances of police finding a runaway are better the sooner it's reported.

Runaways are placed on national and local databases with identifiable information and pictures.

Merchant said her daughter has fled in the past, but always called to let her family know where she was and that she was safe. This time that has not been the case.

One of Tiffany's friends who lives near the Bluffview Motel witnessed the teen staying there, Belinda Merchant said.

Smith said an investigator visited the motel and was told the teen left in a red pickup truck.

"There is no indication ... that we know where she was headed or whether she was heading in or out of town," he said.

Smith said she was not at school from at least March 28 to March 31 and, because she fled home, Tiffany now has an outstanding warrant for violating probation.

Smith said ordinarily runaways are not arrested but can be held for their own safety or counseling at the Juvenile Detention Center. However, because Tiffany Merchant has a warrant, she will be arrested if found, he said.

"Runaway itself isn't a crime in the state of New Mexico. In this case, we were told by juvenile probation that she has a warrant," Smith said.

The National Runaway Switchboard, an organization formed to provide runaway and homeless youth a 24-hour hotline, says one in seven teens will run away before the age of 18.

In 2004, 650 New Mexico residents called the Switchboard's hotline, which received more than 115,000 calls nationwide - 80 percent of whom were from teens between 15 and 18 years old.

According to the organization, 77 percent of all calls were from females and 23 percent were male.

Of all the calls received, 42 percent were from youth and 35 percent from parents. Katy Walsh, Switchboard Development and Communications director, said parents call for advice on difficult situations.

"A lot of times it's a family member in crisis and they don't know what to do," Walsh said.

Callers are often referred to local agencies for help. Walsh said there are 22 resource agencies in Farmington including: the Family Crisis Center, Animas Crisis Pregnancy Center, Child Haven, Mesa Family Health Clinic and Ragsdale and Associates Counseling Services.

Parents can call the Switchboard and leave a message for the runaway. Walsh said the teen's friends are told about the message and may encourage the runaway to retrieve it.

"The message just may be "I love you,'" Walsh said. "We use that quite a bit. It's been really successful."

Other calls may be from the teen themselves, trying to reach out for someone to listen.

According to State Court's Web site, a court summons was issued for Tiffany Merchant April 8 to answer to a minor in possession of alcohol charge. The misdemeanor charge was filed March 9.

"Tiffany was afraid to go to jail and maybe that's why she took off," Belinda Merchant said. "I don't know if she's OK or not."

A publication from the Runaway Switchboard states parents should be aware of warning signs their child may be planning to flee.

The group advises to watch the child's behavior patterns, which can indicate how well they are coping with stress. Teens may also drop hints or threats that they intend to run, while others might begin rebelling.

Dropping grades, truancy, breaking rules at home and picked fights with family members are also early warning signs.

Smith said many cases of runaways frequently come from divorced households. Others may be having problems in school.

"Usually if things aren't going well at school that creates pressure at home," he said.

Those wanting information on National Runaway Switchboard can visit www.nrscrisisline.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

Anyone with information about Tiffany Merchant is asked to call Farmington Police at (505) 334-6622.