NORCROSS, Ga. — It's been more than one month since 16-year-old Susana Morales was last seen by family and friends in Norcross. Now, Gwinnett County Police said they have exhausted all leads and need the public's help finding her.
Her sister, Jasmine Morales, has been praying for her younger sister's safe return home since they last heard from her July 26.
"It's frustration of not knowing where she is, not knowing anything. All I ask sometimes is I just want to know where she’s at so I can get her," Jasmine said.
Surveillance video captures the last moments of where her sister was seen. It shows her walking near Singleton Road and Indian Trial Lilburn Road before 10 p.m. that Tuesday. Jasmine said she was walking back home from a friend's house.
"Something happened between the place we got the camera footage from and our neighborhood and it was a minute apart," she said. "So something happened in that little minute and we just haven’t been able to figure out what."
Gwinnett County Police initially considered Morales a runaway but tell 11Alive it has exhausted all leads and now needs the public’s help. They added that there’s no indication the teen is being held against her will, but her sister thinks otherwise.
Police said when there is no sign of abduction or physical assault, the only other option is runaway.
"We know she’s not out there because she wants to be. She would never do that," she added. "It’s been over a month – she would’ve contacted her boyfriend, my mom, me at least."
Jasmine said she’s followed up on every single lead, too, even driving out of state for some, and in the state, she’s organized rallies in the hopes of getting one step closer.
"Sometimes I can’t even believe that she’s gone. It’s unreal," she said. "We feel her close, we don’t feel her far away. I check her Snapchat score every day, her Instagram following, her TikTok -- nothing. Nothing has changed."
In the meantime, Jasmine holds her newest tattoo of a butterfly close to her heart, as that was what their last conversation was about.
"She was like, 'is that for me?' I was just like, 'if you want it to be for you, then it can be,' and she was like, 'in my mind it is.' Then I was like, 'OK, it’s for you,'" she said.
On Friday, her family and friends are planning another walk with posters and missing person signs to try and bring her back home.
If you're interested in partaking, contact Jasmine.
Her family asked that if you see anyone that looks like her, take a picture of that person and call police immediately, as it could be the one lead they’ve been praying for.
In statement, a spokesperson from the Gwinnett Police Department told 11Alive "regardless of whether a missing person is considered a runaway or not our detectives still follow up on every case and work every lead."
Susana was last seen wearing a yellow tank top and light blue jeans.
Authorities said they are interested in talking to anyone who can provide any information before or after her disappearance.
"The hardest part is not knowing how she is, if she's OK, if she's eating, or where she is," Morales added. "Honestly, if she did leave, we just want to make sure she's OK and where to find her."
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Gwinnett County Police detectives at 770-513-5300.
To remain anonymous, tipsters can also reach out to the Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.
The family has also set up an online fundraiser.