Missing teen evading search efforts, last seen at Orlando hotel, police say
Coral Springs police have released critical new details on the whereabouts of missing 15-year-old Skylee Merino, who left her Coral Springs home two weeks ago.
Before the update Tuesday, family and friends say they were in the dark, unsure where Merino was. Her last confirmed location was on April 21 at a Tamarac shopping center, where a friend dropped her off for a meetup with an individual she had been communicating with via Snapchat.
According to the May 5 statement, Coral Springs detectives have collaborated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as law enforcement in Broward, Palm Beach and Orange counties, in their efforts to locate Merino.
Officials’ updated timeline begins on April 25, when they say she attended a party with friends in Fort Lauderdale.
“She later stayed with a friend in Boca Raton that evening and went paddleboarding with that same individual on April 26 in the Lake Boca area during the Boca Bash event,” police wrote.
Later that day, she was seen at a Starbucks in Boca Raton and left with a 19-year-old man.
In a May 1 interview with that man, police say he told detectives that Merino stayed with him in Delray Beach from April 26 to April 28, when the pair traveled to Orlando.
“Skylee asked to be dropped off at the Mai Hana Hotel, located on International Drive. She was last known to have stayed there with another adult male, who has not yet been identified,” officials wrote.
Her whereabouts after April 28 were not shared.
“At this time, while investigators remain concerned that Skylee’s actions may be placing her at risk, there is no indication that she has been the victim of a crime,” officials wrote. “The investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Loved ones previously asked the community to attend Wednesday night’s City Commission meeting to advocate for her case.
According to officials, Merino is presenting herself as an 18-year-old named Valery. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall with long dark hair and dark eyes, and weighs between 110 and 120 pounds, according to family and police. She may be in possession of a black shark backpack.
Anyone with information relevant to the case is encouraged to contact Det. Daniel Powers at 954-346-1223 or via email at dpowers@coralsprings.gov.
