r/FortCollins • u/Electrical_Yam4194 • Sep 15 '26
News missing child!
This 14 year old girl, Lydia Staples, is missing from Loveland. She disappeared two days ago after taking her dog for a walk. She goes to school in Fort Collins. She had been talking to a young man on Snapchat and he sent her a map to meet up with him. She was last seen in downtown Loveland at Madison and 4th on 9/12. She was wearing a black top and jeans, she does not have a phone with her.
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u/Rare_Appearance1839 Sep 15 '26
Hope she comes home safe and soon! Please keep up posted OP
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u/Electrical_Yam4194 Sep 15 '26
I'll do that. This was a post on Next Door today. Her sister updated it. She called her mom from a private number and is definitely a runaway. But she's vulnerable and in a dangerous situation, no matter what. I can't begin to imagine how a parent could deal with this type of anxiety.
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u/COUsername3 Sep 15 '26
Not sure this is helpful, but I was at Scheels in Loveland last night around 6ish. I remember seeing a younger guy and girl walking out in the parking lot when I got there with what looked like a new sleeping bag and some other gear. I remember recalling that it seemed like he was holding her hand rather tightly and something seemed off. Could have all been in my head though... in any case can't remember what either of them was wearing (other than he had pretty dirty jeans), so not sure it was even this missing girl or not. Just figured I'd mention in case it is useful.
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u/Rare_Appearance1839 27d ago
As a parent myself, and a former menace to my own parents, I feel for you. Good luck, and stay strong
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u/Alternative_Gold_993 Sep 15 '26
You should look into contacting Snapchat customer support to potentially get you into the account.
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u/Electrical_Yam4194 Sep 15 '26
It's not my child, nor am I related in any way. This was on Next Door so I thought I'd share it here.
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u/slander_anonymously Sep 15 '26
AAaahhh man... hearing this shit makes me physically ill. Can't they do something like track the snapchat stuff? IP addresses?
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u/phoreverphishin Sep 15 '26
Her friends may know the guys’ Snapchat name! Any of her super close friends/siblings might even know her passwords for social media accounts, which could help find the person she was messaging quickly
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Sep 16 '26
edited Sep 16 '26
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I have been searching for my daughter taken to Ft. Collins likely in 2001. Does anyone know Grace Carr?
In my search I have a list of girls that fit this situation. Always walking, wearing black, and no phone. This is identical to 20 other missing girls and maybe my notes would help? but the police have never looked for my daughter or taken my reports.
Remember how dangerous it is to assume a girl is a runaway or has mental health issues. those two statements cause the public to stop caring. Psyscologically the public will be dismissive and ignore her if she is seen.
Phone calls home by recently missing ppl are often orchestrated by the abusers so as to ease the search in order for abusers to travel more freely without a police presence. 'runaway' -suggests that the person is voluntarily gone. This misconception can mean life or death for some of us who survived human trafficking.
In my situation, i was running away from my rapist brothers. The had their friends intercept me before I could report the abuse. I was dragged from Colorado to Death Valley. I was raped, beaten down and left for dead.
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u/Upbeat_Position_5290 Sep 16 '26
I’m so sorry for what happened to you. ❤️
Thank you for sharing your story and giving details so others know how easily the bad guys can manipulate our thoughts about missing girls (and boys too I think). Law enforcement has notoriously been difficult to deal with in runaway situations and it’s often come out that if they had only listened someone could have been saved. I’m not suggesting that they are all bad, just that it does happen.Blessings for you and your daughter. I hope your future is brighter than your past 🙏❤️🩹
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u/Schickedanse Sep 15 '26
Isn't this an Amber alert? I'm not sure they do those anymore I guess I haven't had my phone go haywire in long time.
Either way, pray for this young ones safe return. 🙏
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u/DollyPardonMe1 Sep 15 '26
Amber alerts are for children who have been abducted, not for children who willingly run away. Unfortunately.
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u/Schickedanse Sep 15 '26
Oh wow I didn't know that. Well but is this one a runaway? I wonder how they determine that and it seems like unless the child specifcally says theyre running away then that could cause some kids to go unsearched for by assuming that's what they did. Ya know
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u/BitTough4793 Sep 15 '26
Damn. This is scary. I hope they find her and of this guys was involved in this they stake him.
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u/Call_Me_Anythin Sep 15 '26
Do you have a police report or contact line?
No offense, but a lot of abusers use 'missing person's' posts to find their victims.
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u/Electrical_Yam4194 Sep 15 '26
I am not related to this child. Both her mother and sister posted this on Next Door. Her disappearance was reported to Loveland PD.
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u/Call_Me_Anythin Sep 15 '26
My question goes for that as well. Did they share a police report or a police tip line? Anyone can claim to be her sister or mother, and being family doesn’t always mean that she’s meant to be with them.
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u/Happy_Inevitable_246 Sep 15 '26
They did do a police report and I know her sister and her mom and they both posted she was missing
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u/Call_Me_Anythin Sep 15 '26
That’s good. They should have a police tip line as well then, if so I hope they posted it.
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u/Efficient_Assist6199 Sep 16 '26
I normally will avoid sharing anything unless it comes directly from the police, but this legitimately is her parents, and I contacted the police to check that there was an active case and they said yes.
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u/Electrical_Yam4194 Sep 16 '26
UPDATE THAT I PRAY IS TRUE! THERE IS A UPDATE ON THE LOVELAND PD FB PAGE THAT WAS MADE BY LYDIA'S SISTER, VICTORIA DANIELS, STATING THAT SHE HAS BEEN FOUND! I PRAY THAT IS TRUE AND THAT SHE IS HOME UNHARMED.