Update: Police Believe Missing Teen is a Runaway

and Warwick Police are investigating the disappearance of 15-year-old Riverside teenager Ashley Barratt. Barratt went missing from her uncle's home in Warwick around 11:15pm on Wednesday, Aug. 17, according to Barratt's grandmother and legal guardian, Vincenza Fonseca.

Fonseca said by telephone Monday that Barrat and her 16-year-old cousin went to stay with their uncle on Aug. 10 and were scheduled to return home on Aug 13, four days before she disappeared. Fonseca said Barratt's uncle called her on the 13th, asking if the two young cousins could stay longer.

According to Fonseca, Barratt, who was las seen wearing a multi-colored backpack, black leggings and flip-flops near West Shore Road in Warwick, disappeared when her uncle left briefly to pick up his wife's grandmother from her job, which was "right around the corner." When he returned, Barratt was gone.

Fonseca said Barratt's 16-year-old cousin had heard the teenager "make comments" about running away, but "never thought anything of it." Shortly before her recorded disappearance on Aug. 18, shortly after midnight, Fonseca says, Barrat's cousin noticed she was crying. When he approached her to ask what was wrong, Barratt reportedly told him to "leave [her] alone."

Even with such comments, Fonseca says Barratt's disappearance does not fit her personality.

"She's a homey-kid, not a street kid," said Fonseca, who added that Barratt "doesn't even like to go outside when it's dark out."

Fonseca believes Barratt is not with any of her close friends, as she has spoken to all of them, including their parents.

Sgt. Mark Canning of the Warwick Police Department says the situation does not seem to reflect any "endangerment."

"We sent a detective to the East Providence Police, followed eight different leads that lead us to seven different addresses," Canning said, who is leaning in the direction of this case being a runaway. "[The leads] didn't turn up her location, but it did turn out evidence that there was, most likely, no foul play."

Ashley Barrat is 5'4" tall and wieghs 130 pounds. She has light brown to auburn hair and brown eyes. People with any information on the whereabouts of Ashley Barrat are being asked to contact the East Providence Police at 401/431-1111 or the Warwick Police at 401/468-4200.