UPDATE: Missing Lakeland Village Runaway Found Safe In Texas

4/5/2011 UPDATE:

Police have confirmed that a 13-year-old Lakeland Village runaway has been found safe in Texas.

Missing since March 30, Angelina Perez was found safe by authorities in Kimble County, Texas.

"I don't know when or how she was found, but she was located by authorities in Texas and arrangements are being made by her parents to bring her back to California," said Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Cpl. Courtney Donowho.

Donowho said she had no information on the two other teen girls who allegedly ran away with Angelina.

Angelina is a student at David A. Brown Middle School. --Toni McAllister

4/2/11 ORIGINAL POST:

A Lakeland Village woman is searching for her 13-year-old daughter whom she says left March 30 in what may be a stolen van with underage drivers.

Angelina Perez, 13, a student at David A. Brown Middle School, left with Mercedes Gomez, 14, and another teen, Miranda, who is 14 or 15, her mother said.

Angelina's mother, Yvonne Perez, said the two girls arrived at her Lakeland Village home at about 10 p.m. March 29 after allegedly taking the van without permission from Miranda's grandmother and driving to California from Oklahoma.

The Perez' knew Mercedes before she moved to Oklahoma about a year-and-a-half ago. The mother said the two girls spent the night at her house, and when she awoke in the morning, all the girls were gone.

The van is desribed as a red 2005 Dodge Caravan with green and white Oklahoma license plates numbered 517BZX.

Angelina is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown eyes and long brown hair with blonde streaks in it. Her mother said Angelina likely took a few clothing items with her, including a blue-and-gray checkered jacket with fur on the hood.

The mother said Angelina left her cell phone at home, so she is unable to call her.

"I just don't know what these girls are capable of. I don't know if they plan to drink and drive or what but my daughter is just a baby," Perez said.

Perez filed a runaway report with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department when she was not able to locate her daughter.

Sgt. Joe Borja with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said the van has not been registered as a stolen vehicle. The department is investigating Angelina's case as a runaway as reported by her mother, Borja said, but not as an abduction.

Anyone with information on Angelina's whereabouts can call Yvonne Perez at 951-296-4327. --Maggie Avants

Editor's Note 4/3/11: This story has been changed since its original publication to reflect that the van has not been listed as stolen. The department is investigating it as a runaway case.