Geyahna Medwatz, 16, of West Rockhill Township, Pa., missing since March 21.
Geyahna Medwatz, of Lower Rocky Dale Road, went missing in the overnight hours of March 21.
A West Rockhill teenager missing for almost five months, in a case that made national news, returned home to her family this week, Pennridge Regional Police confirmed.
Geyahna "Gigi" Medwatz, of Lower Rocky Dale Road, went missing in the overnight hours of March 21. She was missing for a total of 143 days.
"She returned Sunday to her home in West Rockhill, and we were notified officially of her return on Monday morning," said Pennridge Regional Police Chief Paul Dickinson.
According to a Facebook post from her parents, Medwatz's disappearance was "some of the longest and darkest" times the family experienced, but "the sun is shining again."
"Gigi still has a long road ahead of her. She, as well as our family, need some time to heal," wrote Anthony and Katie Medwatz on Facebook. "I have all the faith that we will."
The Medwatzes thanked the community for helping spread the word about Gigi's disappearance.
"It meant so much to us to know so many people cared and were trying to help us bring our little girl home," wrote the family.
Medwatz was last seen March 29, eight days after being reported missing, in southwest Philadelphia. There were possible sightings of her in Upper Darby, in Kensington at Kensington & Allegheny, and on Ruth Street in Philadelphia.
Medwatz was last seen March 29, eight days after being reported missing, in southwest Philadelphia. Katie said there were possible sightings of her in Upper Darby, in Kensington at Kensington & Allegheny, and on Ruth Street in Philadelphia.
Pennridge Regional Police said Geyahna left her home between midnight and 6:30 a.m. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured a vehicle stopping in front of Geyahna’s home at 2:36 a.m., and then departing about a half-hour later, police said.
Investigators said the footage shows a figure, believed to be Geyahna, walking away from the home with a flashlight around 2:50 a.m.
The vehicle leaves Lower Rocky Dale Road and drives in the direction of Upper Rocky Dale Road, police said. Police could not figure out a make and model of the vehicle from the video.
Investigators and family did not reveal where Medwatz was for five months.
In June, Medwatz’s missing persons case was featured on a May episode of REELZ Channel’s “On Patrol: Live” TV show (think “COPS” and “America’s Most Wanted” mashed together)
“This is a case where, once again, it is very possible that a teenager was communicating online with a stranger, left home to meet that person, and disappeared,” said newscaster Angeline Hartmann, of “On Patrol: Live.” “Her grandmother was working the night shift, and that night, she said she spoke with her before she left, in person. Then, on the phone, they spoke again.”
Hartmann said everything was fine during the conversations, but the next morning, when the grandmother went in to wake her for school, she was gone.
