A missing Toronto Jewish teenage girl was located on Thursday, according to the Toronto Police Service, after two weeks of frantic searches by the community, volunteers, and law enforcement.
TPS thanked the public for their assistance in locating 14-year-old Esther, who went missing on May 15 and was last spotted the following day.
A family spokesperson did not immediately respond to a query from The Jerusalem Post, but spokeswoman Maureen Leshem had announced on Instagram on Wednesday evening that some search operations had been suspended to assess information that she had been spotted at a subway station.
Since Esther went missing, volunteers have been conducting searches and distributing flyers, including during the Shavuot holiday.
Missing persons posters torn down, prompting fear of antisemitism
Controversy arose after some of the missing persons posters that were posted were torn down, with the family concerned that the repeated incidents had been motivated by antisemitism.
As the search for Esther entered its tenth day, a $25,000 reward was offered by a group of multi-faith Toronto residents in exchange for information leading to the girl's return.
Esther's parents addressed the press last Tuesday, urging their daughter to come home and assuring her that, no matter what happened, she was not in trouble.
"Esti, my love, if you are watching this, please come home. We love you so very much. We miss you terribly. Your family, here, across the country, and around the world, are searching and praying for you every minute," said Esther's mother, Shira, "Your friends, classmates, and community are all worried about you and hoping to see you safe."