"but some who post here will try to justify making her action into something criminal"
That would be me. She could have left a note. But, no, taxpayers will have had their money stolen and made to bear the brunt of this spoiled little rich girl.
All willing runaways can leave notes. Well, maybe not the little kids or the Altzheimer runaways, but every other one. You can't make the test one of the wealth in the runaway's family, and be consistent. Adolescent runaways cost as much to trace down as adult runaways.
Another approach that would be consistent would be to cease public assistance in tracing runaways. All private or volunteer effort.