Police are asking for help finding two Cedar City teenagers they believe ran away last week and may now be in either Montana, Oklahoma, Nevada or California.
Investigators first learned Larry Dean Cooke Jr., 15, and Asia Marie Loomer-James, 16, were missing around 12:40 p.m on Feb. 18, according to a news release. At the time, police thought the two might be leaving the state with one of the youth’s biological parents.
Officers have since interviewed and questioned that parent, who lives in Oklahoma, and didn’t find the children. The parent also denies taking them.
Since then, police have gotten tips saying the teenagers could be in four states.
“These juveniles are young and out on their own. These juveniles have not contacted their families in a week and their social media accounts have been inactive," police said.
Cooke is described as white with hazel eyes and blond hair — although the photo police provided shows him with brown hair. He is 5-foot-6 and weighs 115 pounds. Police say Loomer-James is white and is 5-foot-3 and weighs 102 pounds. She has brown eyes and her hair is described as brown, although provided photos show her hair is multicolored.
Police department spokesman Sgt. Clint Pollock said family sent police the photos, and he couldn’t explain the discrepancies between them and the teens’ description.
Anyone with information on the teenagers’ whereabouts can call police at 435-586-2955 and reference case number C20-00580.
