A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the safe return of a Toronto teen who has been missing for more than a week.
A spokesperson for Esther’s family says the reward is being offered anonymously and comes from donations from community members across the Greater Toronto Area.
Toronto police say the 14-year-old, who has been diagnosed as being on the spectrum, was last seen in the area of Bathurst Street and Hotspur Road just after midnight on May 16.
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Police have said they are concerned for her safety, and last week upgraded their search to a Level 1 operation, which is the highest level.
Maureen Leshem, a spokesperson for the family, says they are “devastated and terrified” as the search stretches on.
In a statement, Leshem says missing-person posters put up by volunteers have been “repeatedly torn down,” something she calls “deeply disturbing and cruel.”
Police say that while they understand that such reports are upsetting for the community, “removing posters is not necessarily a criminal offence.”
They say their focus remains on the investigation to find Esther.
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