ATLANTA — A crowd gathered at a Southwest Atlanta church Friday night in connection to the search for a missing teenager.
His name is Ben Braithewaite. He is 16 years old, 6-foot-5 tall and 167 pounds. He is a member of Cascade United Methodist.
Ben Braithewaite is a sophomore at Kipp Atlanta Collegiate, and he plays on the high school’s basketball team.
Family said he is seen on their home surveillance cameras walking out of their home Monday around 8:30 p.m., Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco reports. He was wearing black sweatpants, a black hoodie, a white T-shirt and black Nike running shoes.
He did not take his cell phone or any belongings with him.
Friday, his family, friends, classmates, teachers and police gathered at his school to hand out missing person flyers.
They said they are not sure if he ran away with someone he trusted, if someone kidnapped him or if he was hurt while taking a walk.
The Atlanta Police Department investigator leading this case, Sgt. Ousseynou Samba, spoke to the crowd.
“We have been looking since Monday. We are still looking, and we are not going to stop until we find him,” said Samba.
He said a team searched around his home in The Regency neighborhood with dogs, drones and a helicopter Friday.
“We need everybody’s help,” said Samba. “I mean, the whole city.”
Author Washington, the principal of the teen’s high school, said, “We want him to be back with his family. We want to see him back in school, and if he passes by a TV or passes by a radio station, he hears his name, sees his picture and knows that he’s loved.”
Ben Braithewaite’s parents stood alongside his big brother Will as he spoke to the crowd.
“To anyone who may have talked to Ben, may be in contact with him, helping him, providing him a place to stay, you’re not in trouble. We don’t want to punish you or come after you or anything. We just want to know our brother, our son an dour child is okay and that he’s safe and that we can bring him home,” said Will Braithewaite.
He also sent a message to his brother if he sees this.
“Ben, I just want you to know that you’re not in trouble. There’s nothing we can’t work through together. More than anything, we just love you and want you home,” said Will Braithewaite.
Police said call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 with any information that can help.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Atlanta coffee house paints over mural paying tribute to the late Jovita Moore
- Georgia apartments wouldn’t move terminally ill child to ground floor; now they’re paying $750K
- Fake or real? IRS refund letters leave taxpayers confused
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]