HURST, Texas — A 16-year-old special education student from LD Bell High School who is part of an active AMBER Alert issued Tuesday has now been missing for four days.
Her adoptive parents told WFAA that they're cooperating with the police, have nothing to do with her disappearance and only want her to be found safely.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Zoe Rowbotham, 16, was last seen at about 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 at Bluebonnet Drive and Arwine Drive in Hurst—down the street from her home, where she lives with her adoptive parents, Andre and Catrina Rowbotham.
In an interview with WFAA Thursday afternoon, the couple addressed speculation online that they would like to see stop.
"I only want my Zoe home," Catrina Rowbotham said.
"We just want to thank everybody who's truly interested in finding Zoe and helping, and we want that to continue," Andre Rowbotham added.
Since Zoe went missing late Sunday night, the Rowbothams have organized searches, printed flyers and looked for the missing teen in every place they thought she might be. A volunteer arrived at the Rowbothams' home during WFAA's interview and picked up flyers to distribute throughout the area. The woman told WFAA that her son went to school with Zoe.
"This has been a very hard thing for us because it hurts our heart that she's gone. We're afraid for her, and we're going to do everything we can to find her," she said.
False sightings have been reported to police, and investigators with Hurst PD are asking the public to study Zoe's photos in hopes of turning out better leads.
"There was a possible sighting at Five Guys, then one at a mobile home park," Catrina Rowbotham said. "We just need everyone to keep looking."
They also told WFAA that they're working with TEXRail and DART to see if Zoe got on a train to go somewhere—a TEXRail station is near the teen's home. So far, nothing has turned up after investigators have combed through security footage.
Andre Rowbotham told WFAA that he adopted Zoe when she was just six weeks old. Her biological mother lives in Parker County and has been contacted by police but said she has not seen the teen. The Department of Family and Protective Services is also helping law enforcement try to find Zoe but wouldn't elaborate further with WFAA.
Rowbotham's adoptive parents say that the teen is compulsive and deals with borderline personality disorder, ADHD and two depressive disorders. They say she is intelligent but also has the decision-making skills of a seven or eight-year-old. They also say she likes to make up stories to make her life sound more interesting.
Andre Rowbotham was the last to see Zoe. He told WFAA that the teen has been anxious lately and that a long-term treatment facility was likely in her future. The pair went for a walk/run on Sunday night, and that's when she disappeared.
"Her anxiety was high, so one of the best ways to bring that down is with exercise. We were trying to do a walk/run, and she had grown more defiant. She wanted to go a different way and refused to go with me," Andre said.
Andre said he didn't have his phone with him, so when Zoe went up the hill on Bluebonnet Drive, he took a shortcut up Ascension and tried to beat Zoe to the top of the hill. He said he stopped by the house to let his wife know what had happened. When they reached the top of the hill, he said Zoe didn't show up, and the couple called the police.
"By the time we came back here--she wasn't there, and we couldn't find her anywhere in the neighborhood," Andre said. The AMBER Alert wasn't issued until Tuesday. The Rowbothams say that Zoe doesn't have a phone and has never run away.
They also told WFAA that the police took custody of their phones Thursday and are looking for leads. The pair said they're fully open to it and want any speculation online about them to cease.
"The police are truly turning over every stone. They have done a complete search of our home, and people who are speculating that we've done something—we're an open book. Come look. I don't care. Come look if you think it's going to find Zoe," Catrina said.
If you know where Zoe ism contact the Hurst Police Department at 817-788-7180.