A search that includes 17 FBI agents has yielded no sign of a 10-year-old girl who went missing in a remote, largely Inupiat Eskimo town north of the Arctic Circle on Alaska's western coast, prompting authorities to investigate whether foul play was involved.
Ashley Johnson-Barr was last seen playing with friends at a local park in Kotzebue a week ago. Her cellphone was later found a half mile from Rainbow Park, in the opposite direction as her home in the community of about 3,100 people.
Since the disappearance, volunteers, Kotzebue police and others have conducted searches. A Coast Guard helicopter and aircraft from wildlife troopers also have been used.
This undated photo that is part of a missing person poster released by Alaska State Troopers shows Ashley Johnson-Barr, who was last seen leaving Rainbow Park in Kotzebue, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2018, wearing a pink sweater and jeans. A search that includes multiple FBI agents has yielded no sign of Johnson-Barr, who went missing in a remote, largely Inupiat Eskimo town north of the Arctic Circle on Alaska’s western coast. Now authorities are investigating whether foul play was involved. (Alaska State Troopers via AP)
Alaska State Troopers, the lead agency in the case, said Thursday that authorities are shifting their focus from a search and rescue mission to a law-enforcement investigation. A search also will continue around coastal areas and around access to water, troopers said.
Lt. David Hanson said in a statement the probe also is looking at whether a crime might have been involved. He said authorities also need the public's help.
"We are confident that someone in this community knows what happened to Ashley and needs to come forward and share that information with us," Hanson said.
Kotzebue, 26 miles (42 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle and 550 miles (885 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage, is a regional hub for northwest Alaska villages.
The town is built on a 3-mile-long (5-kilometer-long) spit, and many there live a subsistence lifestyle far off the state's limited road system, with 26 miles (42 kilometers) of local gravel roads used by vehicles in warmer months and snowmobiles in winter. The community has a chronically high unemployment rate, with the school district, state and local hospital among its major employers.
Dozens of locals gathered Wednesday evening at Rainbow Park to pray and share hugs and tears over the missing girl, an honor student, Anchorage television station KTUU reported.
The girl's family could not be reached by The Associated Press Thursday. But her father, Walter "Scotty" Barr told KTUU in Kotzebue Wednesday that he didn't know about the prayer gathering beforehand.
"It goes to show the love of the community and everyone who has helped," he said.
The girl has attended Sunday school at the Kotzebue Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Tim Ungry said the church has been taking food to the family and praying for them.
"They're keeping strong, but they need a lot of encouragement and prayer," Ungry said.
The FBI got involved in the case at the request of troopers, according to FBI spokeswoman Staci Feger-Pellessier. Altogether, 17 agents are currently assigned to the investigation, arriving this week to assist, some traveling from the Lower 48. Ten troopers and three Kotzebue police officers also are working on the case.
Feger-Pellessier said earlier this week that it's not unusual for the agency to deploy numerous agents.
On Thursday, she referred questions about the case to troopers.
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PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth hit back-to-back homers, Dylan Cease pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and the San Diego Padres won their third game in a row, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Friday night.
Manny Machado hit a two-run homer. Cronenworth finished with three extra-base hits, adding two doubles.
The Padres had a big offensive game on the same night they learned they might be adding another good hitter. San Diego is close to acquiring two-time batting champion Luis Arráez in a deal with the Marlins.
“I think it's great — you're always looking for more offense and a left-handed bat to balance out the lineup,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “But listen, nothing's official. We'll leave it at that.”
The Diamondbacks have lost 10 straight series openers after beating the Colorado Rockies on opening day.
D-backs pitcher Slade Cecconi (1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the fourth. Jurickson Profar walked to start the inning and Tatis launched a shot to left-center — his seventh homer of the season.
Cronenworth followed with another homer to make it 3-0 and rookie Jackson Merrill broke an 0-for-20 stretch at the plate with a one-out RBI double for a 4-0 lead.
Cronenworth had a down 2023 season, but has looked much more like the hitter who was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022 through the first month of this season. He's batting .279 with six homers and 25 RBIs.
It was Cronenworth’s second straight game with a homer. He hit a grand slam in the team’s 6-2 victory over the Reds on Wednesday.
“It's the right approach with the right swing,” Shildt said. “He's married both. He's driving the ball to all different parts of the field and not trying to do to much.”
Cecconi didn't make it out of the fifth, giving up six runs over 4 1/3 innings.
The Padres' three-homer outburst provided plenty of support for Cease (4-2), the hard-throwing right-hander who gave up just one run on three hits while striking out eight. He didn't allow a walk.
“I think my fastball command was a lot better, which is really a lot of the battle,” Cease said. “When I'm getting my fastball where it needs to go, it opens up a lot of stuff.”
Machado made it 7-0 in the fifth with a two-run homer to left center off reliever Matt Bowman. The scorched line drive came off Machado's bat at 111.7 mph.
The sliding D-backs — defending National League champions — have lost 10 of their past 15 games and fell to 14-19 for the season.
“We got beat tonight,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "We got out-managed, we got out-pitched, we got out-hit, we got out-coached. We've got to find a way to get the job done and play our type of baseball. That's the bottom line.
“We're grinding away. We're trying.”
Arizona finished with just three hits. Eugenio Suárez had an RBI single in the fifth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Lovullo told reporters that closer Paul Sewald (oblique) and OF Alex Thomas (hamstring) could return to the active roster as soon as Tuesday against the Reds.
UP NEXT
The D-backs will throw RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 4.63 ERA) while the Padres will counter with RHP Michael King (2-3, 5.00 ERA) on Saturday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, left, celebrates his double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, front right, of South Korea, and umpire Phil Cuzzi (10) look for the baseball during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt watches the action on the field during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres' Manny Machado (13) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, left, pauses at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Bowman, center, rubs up a new baseball after giving up a two-run home run to San Diego Padres' Manny Machado, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres' Manny Machado points to the sky as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, slides safely into second base with a double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, of South Korea, applies a late tag during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., right, celebrates his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Padres' Manny Machado (13) during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
