A missing 12-year-old New Zealand girl is suspected to be staying with a "much older" man who isn't part of her family.
Maria Mino is confirmed to have made contact with her family since her disappearance from her home on August 11, however, they are still concerned about her welfare, local authorities said during a press conference Thursday (August 17).
“While we do not have immediate concerns for her safety, we are still concerned that she is in the company of persons much older than herself,” police said the New York Post. “She is believed to be associating with adults who are not immediate or wider whānau (extended family or community) members.”
Local residents were urged to report any sightings or additional information regarding Mino's whereabouts. The 12-year-old is believed to be in west Auckland of the Auckland CBD area with the older man.
The man is reported to have, at some point, lived at an address in the west Auckland suburb of Glen Eden, however, authorities haven't made contact with him as of Thursday's update. Police said Maria is too young not to be with her family.
“We would still like to speak with her,” a police spokesperson said via the New York Post.