The United Cajun Navy has joined the search for a missing 15-year-old from Baton Rouge.
www.wafb.com
United Cajun Navy joins search for missing 15-year-old from Baton Rouge
The United Cajun Navy has joined the search for a missing teen from Baton Rouge.
According to police, no one has seen or heard from Ja’Derrius Minnieweather, 15, since Friday, June 5.
Members of the United Cajun Navy posted to social media, saying they are actively helping to look for Minnieweather and working to support his family.
“We’re going to hit some wooded areas. We’re going to hit some properties, some abandoned properties as well, look around some high traffic areas that are wooded areas,” said Josh Gill, an incident commander with the group.
According to Gill, more than 100 volunteers recently searched multiple locations throughout Baton Rouge, including wooded areas, bridges, and highways. He is asking the public to remain vigilant and continue to do its part.
The missing teen is described as having brown eyes, being five feet tall, and weighing 98 pounds. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, he was last seen wearing black sweat pants, a gray and black shirt, and red Nike slippers.
The search for a missing 15-year-old boy has stretched into its second week, with volunteer crews combing through backwoods, alleys and canals for any items belonging to Ja'Derrius Minnieweather.
www.wbrz.com
Community tips guide volunteer search for Baton Rouge teen missing since June 5
The search for a missing 15-year-old boy has stretched into its second week, with volunteer crews combing through backwoods, alleys and canals for any items belonging to Ja'Derrius Minnieweather.
The teen went missing on June 5. WBRZ's Alexis Marigny joined search crews on Monday as they focused their efforts on an area known as "Ghost Town," where Minnieweather is said to have disappeared.
The United Cajun Navy has been leading search-and-rescue efforts, largely guided by tips from the Baton Rouge community.
"We're getting all of these locations sent to us," said Josh Gill of the United Cajun Navy.
Hundreds of calls and messages have been pouring in, but sorting through them takes time.
"We're having to filter through them — in spots we may have seen, may have already checked," Gill said.
On Monday, the team was working off information that came in the night before.
"We're going to look at a couple of spots, some of them off of Prescott," Gill said. "We got some information last night, and it's just stuff we've got to clear."
Gill said the goal is straightforward.
"Our issue is not with what happened. We just want to see the boy go home," he said.
Minnieweather's family spoke to WBRZ last week. His grandmother said, "I know something happened because he would have called me by now." She also said, "It's the not knowing that's killing me."
One challenge the search team faces is getting people to open up. Gill said people are reluctant to share what they know, even with a volunteer group.
"A lot of times people don't want to talk to the police," he said, adding that "We do provide information to police on where we're going, but that's it."
