Update on Monica Helberg case - Jan. 13, 2014, 4:15 p.m.
Jan. 13, 2014, 2:30 p.m.: The Grant County Sheriff’s Office continues to be concerned about the welfare of 16-year-old Monica Helberg who went missing late Thursday or early Wednesday morning. We hope she is okay and ask the public to continue to send information about possible sightings.
Monica is listed as an Endangered Missing Person because she is without asthma medication. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is considering this a runaway juvenile case because evidence suggests Monica is willingly traveling with 22-year-old Miles “Logan” Moncada. That evidence includes:
• They have previously been in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship;
• Monica ran away with Logan once before;
• Text messages from Monica’s phone to her parents (we are not going to disclose the content as we believe it is private between Monica and her family);
• When she was discovered gone Thursday morning, pillows were arranged in her bed to simulate a person under the covers;
• Information that one of Logan’s family members met Logan and Monica early Thursday morning in Moses Lake and delivered Logan’s wallet; and
• The presence of hair dye and disposable razors in an Albuquerque motel room, where Moncada was seen Saturday night, suggesting Logan and/or Monica may have changed their appearance.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement agencies continue to team up to find Monica.
• The U.S. Border Patrol has been furnished photos of Logan and Monica in case they try to cross into Mexico;
• The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is preparing reports to be forwarded to the county prosecuting attorney to determine if any charges of Unlawful Harboring of a Minor against Logan are appropriate. That crime is a gross misdemeanor in the State of Washington;
• The FBI is monitoring the case, but based on the law there is nothing which can be done at this time. However, if an arrest warrant is issued for Logan charging him with Unlawful Harboring of a Minor, the FBI will review the case to determine if there is evidence to suggest Logan was fleeing to avoid prosecution;
• Police in Texas have photos and case information and are on the lookout for the vehicle they are traveling in: a 2014 Ford Focus with Washington plates ANR8440;
• Contrary to rumor, law enforcement is not tracking the vehicle by GPS. The Ford Focus they are in does not have the ability to be tracked.
If people have tips which may be helpful in locating Monica and/or Logan, we ask them to please call their local law enforcement agency. If they are in Grant County, we are requesting they call the Multi-Agency Communications Center at 509-762-1160 and ask for the on-duty sheriff’s supervisor. We ask people with tips to please not call a specific deputy that they may have had contact with in the past. Doing so has caused duplication of our efforts and oftentimes delays in response as some deputies may off duty. Tips can also be sent to [email protected], and tipsters can remain anonymous.
We have received an overwhelming amount of calls from people just seeking an update on the case, and those calls are hindering our ability to prepare reports and coordinate efforts with other agencies. We ask everyone to please follow our Facebook page for updates (keywords: Grant County Sheriff’s Office – Tom Jones, Sheriff), and our Twitter feed (@grantcosheriff). The news media can contact Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman at 509-760-3713 or [email protected].
Monica’s parents are still very concerned about her and hope she contacts them soon. As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for the Helberg family and any assistance is appreciated. It is still very important that Monica can confirm her well-being.
Address/Location
Grant County Sheriff's Office
35 C St NW
Ephrata, WA 98823
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 509-754-2011
Kyle Foreman
Public Information Officer
[email protected]
509-760-3713