Family seeks help in search for missing Naperville Central student
Family seeks help in search for missing Naperville Central student
The family of a 16-year-old Naperville Central High School student last seen on Monday said they are praying for the help of anyone that can help return their son home.
Michael Carpenter said he last saw his son Chris Carpenter as he dropped him off for school Monday, only to receive a call later that he hadn’t been to class.
“We’re worried to death about this guy,” Michael Carpenter said Thursday. “You got a 16-year-old out there by himself.”
Michael Carpenter said he later discovered Chris had returned home to gather his silver bike, a large backpack filled with clothes, a sleeping bag and laptop. A flyer that was created — which has now been distributed to a Facebook group with 307 members and on Twitter — describes Chris as 5-foot-10, 150 pounds. Chris also left his cell phone at a nearby playground, which Michael believes was to make sure he could not be tracked.
“He doesn’t even have a light on his bike that we know of,” he said. “He’s a teenager and he thinks he’s invincible.”
Michael Carpenter said he and his wife Janice had found materials on traveling in their son’s room this summer, and began to worry he was thinking about leaving the area. To address this, they sent him to a Christian camp in Colorado, where he worked and participated in activities like white water rafting and hiking.
Michael Carpenter said he was both relieved and worried when he noticed his son’s bike missing Monday.
“I was relieved to see the bike gone,” he said. “He was doing what we feared he was doing, but he wasn’t doing something worse. We think he’s moving out of state, we really think he went to Colorado. It would be logical to think that’s where he was headed. If he stays on the bike he may be using bike paths.”
Janice Carpenter said the family has made a missing persons report to the Naperville Police, and said she is amazed by the support that has cropped up on Facebook and Twitter.
“Everyday I am praying someone is going to help us get our son back home,” she said, adding that she fears her son might suffer from anxiety or depression. “Kids are wanting to help, they know that something is not right. Parents are opening up too. They are saying that we aren’t alone, that they worry about depression in their kids too.”
Michael Carpenter said the only information he knows so far is that a classmate saw Chris at the Jewel-Osco on Naper Blvd. and 75th Street Monday evening, but the classmate did not yet know the family was searching for Chris.
Naperville Police Sgt. John Westlove said Thursday that he could not confirm or deny a missing persons report had been filed because of department policy to not comment on issues involving juveniles
The Carpenters said anyone with information can call the Naperville Police at 630-420-6666
