Payton Murrieta: Idaho girl, 12, goes missing after connecting with an 'unknown adult' on dating website

NAMPA, IDAHO: A 12-year-old girl from Idaho has gone missing after using a dating website to pose as an 18-year-old. Her family worries that the child might have made online friends with a stranger.

Family members last saw Payton Avery Murrieta, who was described as "energetic and fun," early on Friday, March 15, in the Nampa neighborhood of 'The Ranch' and Midland.

Payton Murrieta's mother discovered her dating profile on her phone

After she disappeared, her mother found her phone and saw that there were notifications from a dating website on it.

She made up an account to log on, and once she did, she saw Payton's eighteen-year-old profile, she told the Idaho Statesman.

The Nampa Police Department made the following plea for assistance, "Her family is concerned that she has connected with an unknown adult online and may be with them."

After going missing for five days, Payton's mother claimed that neither her phone nor her house keys are with her. She claimed that her daughter had sent her a thank-you text and a message expressing how much she loved her "beautiful mom."

"None of her friends have heard from her and she hasn't been on any social media," the woman posted on Facebook.

The post further read, "If you see her please call the local Nampa police department at 208-465-2257. She is about 5'5 125lbs, brown eyes, hair is now a dark red. It's possible she is with an older male."

She continued, "Anything can help even prayers. I can't work right now bc she doesn't have a house key or remember the garage code so if she does happen to come home, I need to be here."

"It's almost day 5 and my heart aches for my daughter who watches the news that she has been on multiple news stations. I do have another daughter that I have to support."

Nampa Police are seeking video footage

After her daughter went missing, Ali looked for clues on her daughter's phone.

After that, she and her spouse made a fictitious account on the dating website and discovered her daughter's profile, which stated that she was eighteen. After that, she gave the phone to the police.

Most of her family has taken time off from work to look for Payton. On Wednesday night, March 20, Nampa Police sent out a request for video footage from a particular area.

They stated, "Nampa PD is looking for video footage in the area of N. Midland and W. Sanetta Street from Friday, March 15 between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m."

The statement continued, "If you live in this area and have a camera system in your home, please send anything of interest to us. We are looking for vehicles in the area, suspicious activity, people waiting in a car, subjects on foot, etc."

"Our hope is to help locate any details about missing and endangered 12 year old Payton Avery Murrieta," police further added. Payton is described as 5'5", 125 pounds with dark red dyed hair and brown eyes.

She may have been wearing tie-dye leggings and a hooded sweatshirt when she was last seen, along with glasses.

The police department posted on X, "Help us locate missing/endangered juvenile Payton Avery Murrieta, 12 years old, 5’05”, 125 pounds, dark red dyed hair and brown eyes. She was last seen by her family in the early morning hours on Friday, March 15."