14-year-old girl, previously missing in JB, found in Penang with 2 'online friends'

A 14-year-old girl who went missing in Johor Bahru (JB) on Thursday (6 Feb) was found in Penang with two other teens she supposedly met online.

Ong Ying Zi was spotted at a billiard centre on Friday evening by Penang locals, who alerted the police as they recognised her from pictures posted by her family, reported China Press.

At about 8.30pm, the local police arrived to take all three teens into custody, two of whom were boys, for further investigation.

The girl's mother told China Press that she had likely met these friends online as they did not look to be locals.

According to Ying Zi's father, relatives who live in Penang are currently with Ying Zi at the police station.

He added that he had no idea why his daughter ran away out of the blue, noting that she had not shown any unusual behaviour.

One of her relatives posted a picture of the girl being escorted out of the billiard centre on Facebook and informed the public that she was safe, thanking them for their help.

"We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of you who has supported us throughout this journey... All of your assistance, suggestions, or simply your time have made all the difference... We really appreciate them deeply," wrote the relative.

Ying Zi's father also thanked the public for assisting in the search for his daughter, adding that the family will be picking her up from Penang.

Ying Zi went missing on Thursday after she was seen boarding a private hire vehicle at about 9.30am by members of the public.

Upon her disappearance, her family sought help on social media to locate her.

At about noon on Friday, the family managed to get in touch with the driver who had taken the girl to her destination, said the relative in one post.

According to the driver, the girl alighted at Larkin terminal where she boarded a bus headed to Kuala Lumpur.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com