Three weeks after a Los Angeles area teen was reported missing, a national nonprofit organization is expanding the search through smart devices across the country.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is aiding in the search for 17-year-old Kona Bainum, who was last seen on May 9.
Authorities believe Bainum has stayed in the L.A. area but have not ruled out that he may have traveled to surrounding cities.
He’s described as 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair, officials said.
He also may be in need of medical attention, NCMEC said.
“Kona’s family is extremely worried for his safety and wants nothing more than for him to come home,” the organization said in a news release issued Thursday.
To aid in the search, NCMEC has partnered with Ring to share and feature his missing poster on the Neighbors by Ring app, a community tool from the home surveillance company that helps reach millions of users and can assist with locating missing children in real time.
Anyone with information about Kona or his location is urged to contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children hotline at 1-800-843-5678 (THE-LOST), or the Newport Beach Police Department at 949-644-3681.
