Paso Robles mother searching for missing teen

June 8, 2018

A 15-year-old Paso Robles boy has been missing for 18 days, and his mother and her supporters are turning to media and crowdfunding in an attempt to bring the teen home. [Cal Coast Times]

Joshua Newsome has been missing since May 21 and was last seen in Paso Robles, according to a GoFundMe page launched by a friend of Newsome’s mother. The fundraising page is offering a reward for a lead that brings Newsome home safely.

“He has run away before,” the GoFundMe page states. “Frankly, many of us have done it, too. But the situation is real. The dangers are still there regardless of how the media portrays runaways.”

Newsome’s mother, Leann Booker, told KSBY her son ran away while she was taking her other son to a bus stop. Newsome was reportedly last seen leaving Paso Robles High School.

Booker said her son started hanging out with the wrong crowd, possibly transient youth, about three months ago and started ditching school.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is searching for Newsome and accepting tips on his whereabouts. Also, Booker said she searched the Paso Robles riverbed for her son but did not find him.

Newsome is said to frequent Centennial Park and the Paso Robles Rite Aid on Creston Street. However, his family is not sure if Newsome is still in North County.

As of Friday morning, the GoFundMe campaign has raised $300 out of a $10,000 goal. If Newsome comes home without public assistance, the money raised will go toward family counseling.