Still missing

ST. CHARLES – Police departments and scores of residents Monday continued efforts to find a Campton Hills teen reported missing since Wednesday.

Monday marked the fifth day since anyone has seen or heard from Emily Czajkowski, 14. She last was spotted between 7 and 8 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Main and 14th streets in St. Charles after walking away from the Pottawatomie Community Center, where she was dropped off at 6:35 p.m. for a dance class, according to police.

“We’re treating this as a missing persons case, and that’s what we’ve done from the onset,” St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan said Monday.

Police encourage Czajkowski to contact the police or her parents to let them know she’s OK.

There is no evidence of foul play in Czajkowski’s absence, St. Charles Deputy Police Chief Steve Huffman said Monday. Police have, he said, received “a flood of phone calls and emails from the public.”

Keegan said investigators Monday were following up different leads they had received. He briefly addressed and thanked a group of about 30 people who met Monday afternoon in downtown St. Charles to distribute fliers from Button Man Printing in St. Charles with Czajkowski’s picture and description.

Czajkowski last was seen wearing a brightly colored shirt, brightly colored shorts and blue, knee-high socks. She was carrying an oversized, furry snow leopard-patterned backpack, according to police. She is described as 5-foot-6 and 110 pounds with long, dyed blonde hair and brown eyes.

“We’re just trying to hit areas that haven’t been hit yet,” said Kylee Porter, a Geneva resident who organized Monday’s informal meeting.

Porter does not know Czajkowski, but heard about her disappearance and wanted to do something to help. She is one of the nearly 14,000 people following the “Help find Emily Czajkowski” Facebook page.

Another Geneva resident, Maggie Ammon, 14, came to downtown St. Charles for the Monday meeting to pick up fliers and hand them out in downtown Batavia. Maggie said she and Czajkowski have a mutual friend.

“I’ve heard she’s really nice, and it’s really scary that this is happening here,” Maggie said.

St. Charles School District 303 on Monday afternoon sent out a police-authorized message to parents and students asking for help in finding Czajkowski, St. Charles Superintendent Don Schlomann said. He stood with St. Charles police officers during the Monday meeting.

“Our role is to support this however we can,” Schlomann said in a brief interview after the meeting. “Our counselors have been involved, our teachers have been involved.”

Czajkowski is an incoming freshman at St. Charles North High School, and Czajkowski’s father, Jason Czajkowski, is a computer specialist for the district, Schlomann said.

As of 6:30 p.m. Monday, a fundraiser on GoFundMe.com to help the Czajkowski’s family while they are unable to attend work had received $840 in donation pledges.

Czajkowski appeared to be happy and doing well socially during her free time at Thompson Middle School, said Michelle Shambora, who helps out in the school’s cafeteria. She assisted volunteers at the Monday meeting in finding different locations to spread the word about Czajkowski.

“The more people we can get her face in front of, the better,” Shambora said. “Who knows how far she can get right now.”

How to help

People should call 911 if they see anyone matching teen's Emily Czajkowski description.
Those with other information about Czajkowski or her whereabouts can call the St. Charles Police Tip Line at 1-866-378-4267.