PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Three girls remain missing after they were last seen Sunday morning in the Fort Lane area of the Park View neighborhood in Portsmouth, prompting an ongoing investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Portsmouth police confirmed they are working alongside Alexandria police as they search for the girls, one of whom has ties to Northern Virginia.
Janet Tolbert, the grandmother of missing teen Darsha McAllister, says her granddaughter is from Alexandria and needs mental health support.
“She’s not the perfect child, but she has mental issues where she needs to be helped,” Tolbert said.
Tolbert said McAllister had previously been at Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center in Portsmouth.
Tolbert says she's confused and frustrated about where her granddaughter was supposed to be placed.
“Back in December, they sent her down right before the holiday, and then they were telling me that they were gonna have her come back up here, but it’s been like a big runaround,” Tolbert said.
Tolbert told News 3 that an Alexandria police officer recently came to her home and conducted a search.
“He came and did a full search of my home, and I asked him, ‘Well, why are you here?’ He said, ‘Well, the facility sent me here," Tolbert said.
Police have not released additional details about the investigation, but confirmed Alexandria authorities are assisting Portsmouth police.
The other two missing girls are identified as 12-year-old Forever Scott and 14-year-old Jocelyn Krofec.
Tolbert said she received a phone call from McAllister, who claimed she was not with the younger girls.
“She said, ‘I left them. I’m not with them. Darsha is not with those little girls,” Tolbert said.
Tolbert told News 3, she believes McAllister is now in New York.
News 3 reached out to Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center CEO Freddie Anderson to ask about facility security, how long the girls had been there, and staff responsibilities. Since the airing of this story, no response had been received.
Tolbert said she remains frustrated with the situation and the lack of answers.
“I’m angry,” she said.
News 3 also requested comment from Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins, but was told he was unavailable to speak.
Anyone with information about the missing girls is urged to contact Portsmouth police.
