Local

Jacksonville teen missing for weeks

The mother of a missing Jacksonville teen is asking for the community’s help in finding her.

Saturday marks three weeks since 18-year-old Ebony Kirby disappeared.

The teen’s mother, Sarah Kirby, told Action News Jax that Ebony snkeaked out of their Ortega Hills home July 15 after they got into an argument.

She said the teen left with just the clothes on her back and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

Kirby said Ebony left without her shoes, phone and wallet.

She believes someone has her daughter.

“I know that something is wrong,” Kirby said. “She wouldn't run away. She didn't have any reason to run away.”

Kirby said messages were sent from her daughter’s Snapchat account to friends that said a man had picked her up along U.S. 17.

The messages said he was taking her to Miami and that she was scared.

The mother said another message was sent later that said she was fine.

Kirby thinks someone else may have been messaging from her daughter’s Snapchat account.

“I know she's not fine. That's not my daughter texting. That's way out of character,” Kirby said.

She said her daughter's disappearance is eerily similar to that of 21-year-old Savannah Gold.

Action News Jax told you Gold never made it into work at the Bonefish Grille in Mandarin Wednesday.

Police are not connecting these cases.

With each passing day, Kirby said it’s getting harder to stay hopeful.

"When you have a child that's missing, you know, you may not ever see them again,” Kirby said.

JSO is working Ebony’s disappearance as a missing persons case.

Kirby hired a private investigator. She said she will continue passing out fliers until her daughter is found.

“I'm heartbroken because my daughter's not with me and it is killing me because I don't know where she's at,” Kirby said.