Teen who disappeared in San Francisco area found safe with relatives in Massachusetts

Associated Press ^ | 8-5-02

[Oldeconomybuyer]

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) -- A 12-year-old Chinese girl who disappeared from San Francisco International Airport last week is safe and staying with relatives in Amherst, an Immigration and Naturalization official said.

Authorities at first had feared that Yukun Jia may have been kidnapped when she disappeared from Chinese tour group Thursday during a layover in San Francisco on a trip to an Alabama space camp.

[goody2shooz]

Sounds like a well planned defection, doesn't it? I suspect this girl has no intention of returning home to China.

[RabidBartender]

San Francisco to Massachusetts....

I'm confused, is that an improvement or not?

[copwife]

Oh,well...from one communist state to another.

[skeeter]

Whats the difference between a 'defection' and giving the INS the slip? Looks to me like this was a crude attempt at border jumping, but the family didn't count on all the press attention.

I say send her to the back of the line.

[August West]

A twelve year-old is NOT a teen.

[Aliska]

If an American family pulled a stunt like that with a family member, there would be H*** to pay! Social services would whip that kid out of there in the blink of an eye and the relatives should be in deep doo doo with the law.

The kid is underage and her parents in China should have their rights respected (unless they were in on it which is possible).