Missing Summit Teen Found Safe and Sound

Update March 2, 2011:

The missing 15-year-old Summit teenager has been found.

Alexis Stevenson was found uninjured, in Harlem at approximately 11 p.m. Tuesday night when she approached a New York City Police Department officer in the 23rd precinct and told him that she ran away from home the previous day.

"She was taken into protective custody by the NYPD who contacted the Summit Police Department," said Lt. Steven Zagorski in an e-mail Wednesday morning. "The Summit Police department in turn contacted her parents who responded to NYC to take custody of their daughter."

Zagorski said the daughter of Board of Education Vice President Michelle Stevenson and husband Kenneth, was alone when she approached the officer.

"We are relieved and thankful for her safe return," Michelle Stevenson said by e-mail late Tuesday night.

Stevenson was morning after she was seen walking away from Summit High School shortly after 7:45 a.m.

It is still unknown at this time why the teen ran away from home.

A 15-year-old Summit teenager is missing, Summit police say.

The issued a Nixle alert around 4:30 p.m. Monday notifying the public that Alexis Stevenson reportedly ran away from home and was now missing. A friend of the family says that Stevenson has friends in Maplewood and South Orange.

Stevenson, a freshman at , was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt with an iron on picture of a girl, black boots and carrying a green and black backpack.

"This was not an abduction, the young lady ran away from home," a Nixle alert issued at 6:32 p.m. Monday stated. "Alexis Stevenson left of her own will, we are trying to use all resources to aid in her return to her family."

Sgt. Tom Rich of the Summit Police Department said Monday that Stevenson was last reportedly seen by a friend at the high school. Rich said Stevenson was dropped off at school Monday morning by her parents and reportedly left school at some point during the day but it is unknown why.

Lt. Steve Zagorski said Tuesday morning that state and nationwide alerts have been issued about the missing person and patrols are on the lookout for the teen this morning.

"We're following up with the parents and her friends to find out who they hang out with and what places they frequent," he said.

Anyone with information as to her whereabouts are being asked to call the Summit Police at 908-273-0051.