Fergus Falls teen Paige Wollman found safe after missing-person alert

Paige Wollman was found safe after a missing-person alert that drew in local police, county deputies and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The Fergus Falls teen, 15, had been last seen in Fergus Falls on April 19 and was the subject of a statewide endangered missing persons report before authorities said Friday she had been located.

Police initially believed Wollman might be in the St. Cloud area, and they also raised the possibility that she could be in the Minneapolis metro area. Investigators said she had run away while on a weekend pass because she did not want to return to the facility where she was staying. Officials also said she had no known history of running away, which helped underscore why the search moved quickly beyond Otter Tail County.

The public description released during the search identified Wollman as 5 feet 5 inches tall, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. That information was shared as authorities tried to widen the search and gather tips from anyone who may have seen her between Fergus Falls and the larger central Minnesota corridor.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issued an endangered missing persons report, a designation used statewide when investigators believe a missing person may be at risk of physical injury or death. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says missing-person cases must be reported to local law enforcement and entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center file, with the Minnesota Missing and Unidentified Persons Clearinghouse serving as one of the tools law enforcement uses to help locate missing children and adults.

For residents, the case is a reminder that the most reliable place to act on a missing-person alert is through official channels. During the search, authorities directed tips to the Fergus Falls Police Department at 218-332-5502 and the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office. When similar alerts are issued again, law enforcement wants the public to share information with those agencies quickly, since early tips can help narrow a search across Fergus Falls, St. Cloud and beyond.