Cops Search For Missing Kansas Teen

A surveillance video shows a missing 18-year-old being forced into her car at a Target store where she had stopped for an errand over the weekend, police said.

Kelsey Smith, who graduated from high school less than two weeks ago, left the store Saturday evening and put packages into her car when someone ran toward her, police said.

"As she opened the driver's side door, the individual sprinted up behind her and pushed her into the car," Police Capt. Tom Fredrickson said.

Her car was found two hours later in the parking lot of a mall across the street.

Police were working to enhance the quality of that video, which has not been released because it is so poor, Detective Matthew Bregel said.

Overland Park police did release another video of Smith walking into and out of Target and of a man they called a "person of interest," Detective Bob Miller said.

Authorities describe the "person of interest" as a white male in his 20s, reports CBS Station KCTV. They say he appears to be about 6 feet tall, 175 pounds with dark hair and a goatee and dressed in a white T-shirt, black shorts and black tennis shoes.

About two hours after Smith disappeared, her grandparents found her gray 1987 Buick in a parking lot at a nearby mall with her purse and packages still inside. Smith's cell phone and ATM card were missing from her purse, reports KCTV.

Police received several calls since releasing that video, he said.

"He walked in shortly after her and left shortly before her, and is obviously parked out somewhere by her," Miller said. "We're confident we're going to get this guy identified today."

Police are not calling him a suspect, Frederickson said.

"He's an individual who may have information that is helpful to us. We want to find out his name and speak to him," he said.

Police scheduled a news conference for late Tuesday afternoon.

Smith had been expected to attend a pool party with her boyfriend and then go to dinner to celebrate their six-month anniversary Saturday night.

About two hours after Smith disappeared, her grandparents found her gray 1987 Buick in the mall parking lot with her purse and packages still inside.

The teen's family is holding up "as well as can be expected," Miller said.

"I talked to the dad early this morning," he said. "They're starting to crumble a little bit because we're past the 48-hour window. He knows the urgency and the gravity of the situation now."

Smith's father, Greg Smith, has been in law enforcement for 16 years. He described his daughter as outgoing, with plans to be a veterinarian.

"From a cop standpoint, I understand everything that's going on," he said. "I know what some of the key things are, what the key time frames are. I try not to think about that."