Police searching for an Ohio teen missing for two weeks asked the public on Saturday to give them “a couple more days” to complete ongoing searches before joining in the hunt for 14-year-old Harley Dilly.
Dilly reportedly disappeared while walking to school on December 20 while walking to school.
Meanwhile, the Port Clinton New Herald reported that police had been called to the Dilly home five times in the last three years, the last two times for an “unruly juvenile” and appear to refer to Harley. The teen’s mother, Heather Dilly, made at least four of those five calls.
The last call was made at 7:40 p.m. on September 25. The News Herald said that dispatch records showed that an officer spoke with all parties involved and gave the juvenile a verbal warning, requested by the parents.
Port Clinton Police Chief Rob Hickman said that police were called in that instance because “Harley was upset over an incident that happened at home.”
“We were involved, and, other than that, that’s about it,” Hickman said. “We showed up. The problem was resolved. Nobody was arrested. It was just a family issue.”
The previous call, made at 3:37 p.m. on January 12, 2017, also referenced an “unruly juvenile.” Dispatch records say that the issue “calmed down” when the responding officer spoke with the mother and the juvenile.
The News Leader reported that the other three calls, all made by Heather Dilly, came between May 2016 and March 2017 and reference “custody dispute,” “civil complaint,” and “disturbance” but nothing about a juvenile.
The search for Harley Dilly has gone nationwide, with the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involved in the search, along with more than a dozen law enforcement agencies, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
Authorities have declined to reveal whether they are treating Dilly as a runaway or a victim of foul play. They have also refused to say whether Dilly was being bullied at school, or if he was diagnosed with any mental or behavioral issues.
Dilly’s father reported him missing at around midnight on December 21. The teen had recently broken his phone, possibly explaining why his family was not concerned about not hearing from him until hours later.
Law enforcement has released a surveillance still which presumably shows Dilly in an area between his home on East 5th Street and the Port Clinton high and middle school campus between 6 and 7 a.m. on December 20, the day of his disappearance.
Police said they discovered nothing suspicious at Dilly’s home. Investigators reportedly searched his sister’s home, which is located in a different state, and found no sign of the missing teen.
Hickman also mentioned that the teen has left home during disputes and returned the following morning.
The reward for the teen’s safe return has now topped $9,000.
Dilly was described as being 4 feet, 9 inches tall, 100 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. He was reportedly last seen wearing glasses, gray sweatpants, a maroon puffy jacket, and black tennis shoes.
The police chief advised against approaching Dilly if he is spotted, as the teen “does not warm up to people” easily. Anyone with information regarding Harley Dilly’s whereabouts should call Port Clinton Police at 419-734-3121.
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[Featured image: Harley Dilly/Port Clinton Police Department]
