Officials: Teen Who Fled With Coach Left Boyfriend Behind

Officials say Caitlyn Frisina's boyfriend 'is beside himself'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 30, 2017 1:00 PM CST
Florida Teen, Soccer Coach Moving Up East Coast: Officials
Authorities say this still from surveillance footage shows 27-year-old Rian Rodriguez and 17-year-old Caitlyn Frisina, who ran away from her Florida home, at a gas station Sunday in Georgia.   (Columbia County Sheriff's Office)

Authorities say 17-year-old Caitlyn Frisina has been on the run with her high school's 27-year-old soccer coach, Rian Rodriguez, for five days now. But officials and Frisina's family are still searching for answers, as the pair appeared to have had no prior relationship. Sgt. Murray Smith tells CBS News if there was something between Frisina and Rodriguez, "it was a very, very tight secret." "Caitlyn actually has a boyfriend," Smith says. "The boyfriend spent Thanksgiving with her." He tells WABC that Frisina's boyfriend "is beside himself because everything was fine." And Frisina's parents say they had seen "no indicators" of a relationship between Rodriguez and their daughter.

Frisina left her family's home in Lake City, Florida, sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, after having "fully erased" her phone, which she left behind. At this point, authorities don't believe Rodriguez kidnapped her. "We don't want them to think they are in trouble," Smith says. "They've made some poor decisions, but who hasn't?" On Wednesday, authorities released surveillance camera images apparently showing the couple moving from Florida to Georgia to South Carolina to North Carolina, People reports. Authorities believe they could be on their way to New York, where Frisina has family, or Canada, where Rodriguez has family. (More runaway stories.)

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