Montgomery County police are searching for a runaway Rockville teen missing since August.
No one has heard from Maria Ann Ward, 17, since Aug. 1. Ward, who lives on the 500 block of Baltimore Road with her grandmother, has run away before, according to Detective Brenda Alexander.
“We understand how juveniles don’t like to stay under their parents’ rules, especially grandparents,” Alexander said. “But we have to remind them that they’re only minors.”
Police described Ward as 5 feet tall, weighing 130 pounds, with brown eyes and medium-length black hair.
Detectives have received several tips from friends and family members and followed up on some social media-related tips but initially turned up little on Ward’s whereabouts. Then, this week they received a tip from a woman who thought she saw Ward near an old pump house at 401 S. Horners Lane in Rockville. Ward was seen carrying a basketball, Alexander said.
Ward may also be in the D.C. region and is known to frequent the downtown Wheaton area, according to authorities. She often travels by Metro, Alexander said.
Another recent tip indicated Ward may be with an adult male.
Anyone with information about Ward’s location is asked to call the Montgomery County police at 301-279-8000. Callers may remain anonymous.
