Intense Search Underway For Missing Richmond Teen Antoine Whittley
RICMOND (CBS SF) -- A ride share driver who picked up a Richmond teen Wednesday night to give him a ride home is not involved in the boy's disappearance, according to police.
Richmond police said the driver has cooperated in the ongoing search for missing 17-year-old Antoine Whittley, who was visiting a friend's house about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of Marina Way South and took a ride share to return home to the Point Richmond area.
He was last seen mid-span on the Richmond/San Rafael bridge.
A friend spoke with Antoine while he was on the bridge and Antoine said he believed he was being followed, police said Saturday. The phone disconnected and Antoine has not been heard from since.
On Monday, investigators found and contacted the driver and do not consider him a person of interest in the case, which they are treating as a missing person case and not a criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard and marine units from the Richmond police, Contra Costa County and Solano County sheriff departments have spent hours searching the water below and near the bridge. Officers also walked the shoreline as part of the search.
Antoine is 5-foot, 9-inches tall and weighs approximately 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black Covid-19 mask, hooded Reebok sweatshirt and black/green pants with an orange/green/gray camouflage stripe on both legs. He was carrying a backpack with personal belongings inside.
Police ask that any person, who may have any information related to this crime please contact Detective Kris Palma at (510) 621-1276, email him at kpalma@richmondpd.net or contact Richmond's anonymous tip line at (510) 307-T1PS (8177) or our non-emergency 24-hour number at (510) 233-1214.
