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Update: WSP cancels MIPA after missing Bellingham teen located

Washington State Police patrol car
Washington State Police patrol car Staff The Bellingham Herald file

Update: WSP reports the teen has been located and the MIPA has been cancelled. The original article follows below.

Washington State Patrol has issued a Missing Indigenous person Alert (MIPA) for a 16-year-old boy last seen around 10:30 p.m. Feb. 18 near Tulip Road in Bellingham.

Charles Jefferson is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 155 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and is likely wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

WSP issued the alert on behalf of the Bellingham Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 and reference case number 26B09561.

This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 10:10 AM.

Profile Image of Jack Belcher
Jack Belcher
The Bellingham Herald
360-715-2206
Jack Belcher covers transportation and recreation for The Bellingham Herald. He graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in digital journalism in 2020 and joined the staff in September 2022. Belcher resides in Bellingham.
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