Teen disappears walking to school, becomes second Parkview High student to vanish in a month

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County police are asking for the public’s help to find a 15-year-old girl who disappeared on her way to school.

Leila Novljakovic was last seen around 6 a.m. at her home off Ridgewood Drive in Lilburn heading to Parkview High School on May 16.

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Investigators said the only recent location they have on her is from her cell phone pinging in Atlanta on June 5.

Novljakovic is 5 feet, 9 inches tall with red hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a maroon shirt, gray sweatpants, black flip-flops and a pink backpack. Police also said she has a heart and circle tattoo on her left wrist.

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This is the second disappearance of a teen who attends Parkview High School. On the last day of school May 24, police said 14-year-old Ashley Na’Veah Bell took her exams, then vanished. She was last seen in the parking lot around 10:30 a.m.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan talked to police, who said they don’t think the two cases are related, but are just a strange coincidence.

Regan also spoke to Novljakovic father, Adis Novljakovic, who said he’s barely slept since his daughter disappeared.

“She went to school about 5:45 a.m. The bus goes here, she walked out the door, and that’s the last time we seen her,” Novlijakovic said. “You look forward to your kid coming home, and when they don’t, your world just crumbles in front of you.”

Novlijakovic said no one has heard from her.

“Sickening to my stomach that not even one of her young friends have spoken to her on the phone,” he said.

Novlijakovic made an emotional plea directly to his daughter to come home.

“She knows I love her. And I ask her to please come home,” Novlijakovic said. “Your mother loves you. Forgive us if we have done anything wrong. But give us a chance to work it out together. Please come home.”

Last week, Channel 2 Action News talked to Bell’s father, Remon Bell, who said his daughter is not one to run away and definitely not for this long.

“It’s harder and harder every morning, waking up,” he said. “I don’t know what to think, because she doesn’t do this.”

Bell is described as 5′3″ and 145 pounds with curly black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen earing a white shirt, brown tights and brown and white shoes.

Anyone who sees Novljakovic or Bell or has information on their whereabouts are urged to contact Gwinnett County police at 770-513-5300.

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