UPDATE: Katelyn has ben found, Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed on Wednesday morning.
A 12-year-old girl with special needs has gone missing, leaving her mother "completely out of [her] mind with worry". Katelyn, who is from Llanelli, left Carmarthen Learning Centre with two boys at around 11am on Tuesday (October 17), her mother Amy Lewis, 35, has said.
The mum said a teacher from the centre pursued the youngster, who has autism and epilepsy, all the way to Carmarthen town centre to try and get her to return. "When Katelyn refused to then, the teacher could no longer keep up with her and she decided to make a 999 call at about 11.30am today," said Amy.
She added that there was one more sighting of Katelyn at 2.30pm behind Tesco Extra on Morfa Lane in Carmarthen. Amy said Katelyn has only been at the school for three weeks and is unfamiliar with the town.
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"That’s the worry that if [the two boys] have left her, she does not know Carmarthen. She’s very vulnerable and could be in a lot of danger. She doesn’t know stranger danger...she’s very delayed, she’s been diagnosed with the brain of an eight-year-old."
Her family and the police are still searching for her as of 9.45pm - almost two hours after she was due to take her medication for epilepsy at 8pm. "Any time after 8pm, she’s at high risk of going into seizures."
The two boys are also believed to be still missing - and none of the children have their phones, Amy said. “So the three of them are unreachable - there is no way of tracking them down where they are."
Katelyn was last seen wearing a grey hoodie, dark blue jeans and white trainers with brown laces and black patches on the rim of the shoe. She has “natural, wild” brown hair, which she wears down, and she’s of slim build, and has brown eyes, her mother said.
Police have updated the status of the incident to "high risk" and have released drones, according to Amy. “I’m completely out of my mind with worry...it’s terrifying to me. If she had gone missing in her hometown, I know I would be able to find her a lot faster, because she’s well known," she said. "The fact that she’s in Carmarthen, unknown, with all her vulnerabilities, she could be literally anywhere and she’s easily led.”
Dyfed-Powys Police has launched an appeal to find Katelyn. It reads: "Have you seen Katelyn? She was last seen in the Johnstown area of Carmarthen at around 11.30am this morning (17 October). She is described as around 5ft 3ins tall, of slight build with long, brown hair (worn down). She was last seen wearing a grey hoodie and jeans.
"Officers believe she is with two teenage boys who are wearing all black clothing. Have you seen Katelyn or do you have info that might help us find her? Please, let us know: Direct message on social media, https://bit.ly/DPPmissingperson, 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk, 101. Quote reference: DP-20231017-122. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908."
