Joint Base Missing Teen Found In Southampton

A missing 13-year-old girl from the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has been found safe.

Joint Base Facebook page posted that she was located near the Red Lion State Police Barracks in Southampton walking along Route 206. She is in good health and has been reunited with her family.

Snodgrass was last seen getting off her school bus on Ash Street on the base in Wrightstown around 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon A search began when she did not come home via social media, the base wide "big voice" giant intercom and  on the ground.

Sergeant David Carbajal, a spokesman for the Joint Base's the Press Office told Townsquare Media's Jason Allentoff on Thursday morning that Brittney Snodgrass was likely a runaway and left the base of her own free will. They did not elaborate on the circumstances.

Carbajal also said that state and local police were involved in the search for Snodgrass.

Her mother Coleen Wheeler posted a more recent picture of Brittney on the Joint Base Facebook page showing her with straight hair. She was last seen wearing a black hoodie, pink undershirt, skinny jeans and pink high top sneaker according to a poster put out about her disappearance submitted to the Joint Base Facebook page. She weighs 95 pounds and is 5' 2"

According to the Joint Base's Facebook page, local police believe Snodgrass has left the Joint Base and may be in the Browns Mills area. They are continuing to follow up on leads and tips.

A Mother's Plea

Her mother, Coleen Wheeler,told the Burlington County Times that her daughter was last seen at a Burger King in Browns Mills on Wednesday afternoon with a 14-year-old female friend. "The other girl came home, Brittany did not," said Wheeler.

She says Snodgrass has never been in trouble before and described her as outgoing and funny.  "We're very worried. We just want her home and to know she's safe.I want her to know I'm not angry. She's not in trouble and we just want her to come home," she added.

The base's  87th Security Forces Squadron quickly organized neighborhood watch groups to conduct door-to-door searches last night. Vehicles coming-and-going from the base were stopped and informed about Snodgrass. The search will continue today

Northern Burlington County Regional Superintendent James Sarruda tells the Times, "we reached out to the school principal, teachers, and counselors to help put together some names of her friends, and we’ve shared any and all information that we can. I think I helped them focus the search a little bit.”

Snodgrass lives with her family on the base which covers 42,000 acres in Ocean & Burlington counties. Over 44,000 people live and work on the Joint Base which is made up of McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and the Lakehurst Naval Air Station.

Anyone seeing her should call the Joint Base Police at 609-562-6001 with any information.

Jason Allentoff contributed to this story