Indiana Woman Searching for Missing 17-year-old Daughter Last Seen in Bradenton

Brooklyn (on right) with a friend

BRADENTON – Brooklyn Charles was last seen in Bradenton two weeks ago. The 17 year-old Indiana native is thought to have run away with a boyfriend and has been missing for a month. Her mother, Nicole Charles, has been in Bradenton for the last two weeks trying unsuccessfully to find her daughter. She's asking anyone who may have information on her whereabouts to contact her.

"She's a good kid," said a distraught Charles. "She's never run away before. She wasn't in trouble or anything when she left."

Charles said that Brooklyn and a boy named Weston Lewis left Indiana together in Brooklyn's silver 1999 Plymouth Breeze. She received word from a fellow Indianan who was staying in Bradenton with a relative that the two were here and contacted him two weeks ago. He told her that they had said they'd driven down and were out of money for gas to return.

Charles has been passing out fliers all over the Bradenton area. Yesterday, a hot dog vendor told her she was certain she'd seen the child panhandling for gas money in the parking lot of Lowe's this past Sunday. Brooklyn is 5'10, 123 lbs and has long, brown hair and hazel eyes. Nicole asks that anyone with information call her at 765-667-8367.