San Diego

Search for Missing Teen Last Seen Near La Jolla Cove on Christmas Eve

The family of a missing teen who vanished on Christmas Eve near La Jolla Cove is pleading for his safe return. 

Jeremy Taylor Howard, 19, went missing the morning of Christmas Eve. Howard was with his sister's husband at the cove that day when his brother-in-law turned away from a few minutes. 

Since that day, police have been searching for the teen. His sister, Sadie Oliver, said Jeremy was visiting San Diego for three months, but was set to fly back to his hometown of Seattle on Christmas Eve.

Oliver said her husband and Jeremy were here that day at the Cove watching waves and seals. Her husband walked away for ten minutes, and when he came back, Howard was gone. Oliver said her brother depends on his family and they were not fighting; he would not have taken off.

The day he went missing, it was crowded at the Cove, and Oliver is hoping someone saw something. In the meantime, lifeguards have been searching nearby water for several days. 

"They've already done so many searches in the water," Oliver said. "They've come with absolutely nothing. And he knows how to swim. So, it's the water that bothered me for the first couple of days, but after so many dives, there's only so far you could have went within a few minutes, if you did fall in the water or someone would had seen you."

Howard is described as a 160 pound 6 foot man with short, dark brown hair, brown eyes and little to no facial hair. He has a tattoo of a cross with the word β€œfaith” written on top on his right forearm. The name β€œRashia” is tattooed on his left forearm.

He was last seen wearing a maroon shirt with black sweat pants and no shoes.

Any information related to the whereabouts of Jeremy Howard should contact the to San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000. Anyone who would like to speak directly to Oliver can call her at (619) 836-2899.

No further information was immediately available. 

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