First Nation offers $15K reward for missing teen

The Eskinuopitijk First Nation is offering a $15,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the discovery of a teenager who disappeared on Sept. 5.

Hilary Bonnell, 16, was last seen walking along Highway 11 atabout 7:30 a.m. AT.

She disappeared after attending a party with friends the night before on the Eskinuopitijk First Nation, commonly known as Burnt Church, in the northeast of the province.

The community put up the reward after the ground search for Bonnell was called off on Sunday.

As many as 300 people in the community of 1,600 are continuing in their own search for Bonnell.

Curtis Bartibogue, a cousin of Bonnell's mother and a local band councillor, said the RCMP has fallen short of his expectations since the teenager first went missing.

Bartibogue said if the police force had increased its efforts to find the missing 16-year-old girl sooner, perhaps she would have been found already.

"I'm hoping that they do pick it up and If they get any tips, they should not take it lightly and really act on it I hope."

The RCMP has 10 officers involved in the search.

RCMP Const. Franois Poirier said even though the ground search has been stopped, the police are following up on tips received from Miramichi, Tracadie-Sheila, Bathurst and Moncton.

"Everything's in the air so yes it could be suspicious," Poirier said.

"It just could be a runaway but as there's no actual lead saying that she's with somebody else or hiding or something, the RCMP is looking at every possibility."

Bonnell is aboriginal, has dark eyes and black, shoulder-length hair. She isfive feet five inches tall and weighs about 134 pounds.

She was last seen wearing a purple T-shirt, a black sweater, jean shorts and sandals.