A local teen who had been missing since Dec. 13 was found safe in Thousand Oaks, Calif., Friday night, officials confirmed.
Brianna "Bri" Pieper, 16, disappeared last Thursday in the middle of the school day, right after fourth period, her mother Heather Britt said. She had last been seen on Santo Road, across the street from Serra High School.
On Friday morning, almost 100 people gathered near Serra High School to help search for Pieper, who hadn't been seen on heard from since her disappearance. A large group of family members, friends and local residents searched the hills and canyons around the school for clues.
Britt told NBC 7 that Pieper (pictured below) has no history of running away from home.
For Britt, her daughter’s disappearance has been a complete nightmare.
“It’s horrible. It’s probably the worst thing that a parent can go through – not knowing where their child is or if their child is okay,” Britt told NBC 7. “At the same time, God is good and he proves it every day with all of the support that people show.”
Britt says her daughter did cut school once and disappeared, but she was in contact with her mother within an hour of being gone that time. Britt says it doesn’t make sense that Pieper wouldn’t tell anyone where she was going.
Team Amber Rescue – a local search and rescue organization founded by Carrie McGonicle in honor of her slain daughter, Amber Dubois – was set to join in the search for Pieper Saturday, but fortunately, the teenager was found safely Friday night.
No further information was released as to what Pieper was doing in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego