Tupu Lamar Hawkins, 17, was last seen leaving the Sagamihara Family Housing Area at 3:16 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Tauai-upolu Tupu)
TOKYO — Police were still searching Tuesday for an at-risk American teen last seen leaving a U.S. Army housing area near the Japanese capital the previous morning.
Tupu Lamar Hawkins, 17, “has been determined to be at significant risk by law enforcement,” according to a missing person alert issued Monday evening by the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Hawkins was last seen leaving the Sagamihara Family Housing Area at 3:16 a.m. Monday, the Army said. He may have been walking toward the nearest 7-Eleven convenience store.
Hawkins is approximately 5-foot-9 with black hair and brown eyes, according to the alert. He was wearing a blue sweatshirt, blue jeans and brown dress shoes.
Tupu Lamar Hawkins, 17, was last seen leaving the Sagamihara Family Housing Area at 3:16 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (U.S. Army)
The Criminal Investigation Division has no new information about the case, division spokesman Thomas Hamilton told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday evening.
Japanese police in Sagamihara received a report about the missing teen from the Army on Monday, a police spokesman said by phone Tuesday morning.
Police are searching for Hawkins at places such as train stations, said the spokesman, who declined to provide further details about the ongoing investigation.
Some Japanese government officials may speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.
The missing person alert prompted dozens of comments on U.S. Army Garrison Japan’s Facebook page, including from someone who said they had put up flyers about the missing teen at a local train station.
However, the garrison posted a Facebook update Tuesday morning from the Criminal Investigation Division discouraging people from hands-on involvement.
“We understand and appreciate that our local community members would like to take further action to aid in the investigation but respectfully ask that you allow law enforcement to conduct and lead this official investigation,” the post said.
Unofficial actions could unintentionally and negatively impact the investigation, according to the update.
“We are not advising any official community search parties at this time,” it said. “If we decide that an official search party should be conducted, we will lead that effort and communicate that need to the community through various channels, to include this [U.S. Army Garrison] Japan Facebook page.”
Anyone with information about Hawkins should contact Army CID Far East Field Office Japan at (571) 637-8561, according to the Army. Anonymous tips can be sent to the Criminal Investigation Division at www.cid.army.mil/tips.
Community members should refrain from hanging posters off post without permission, the update added.
