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Caroline Karimi Update: Missing Calif. teen contacts mother, says she went on road trip, report says

Caroline Karimi CBS Los Angeles

(CBS) LOS ANGELES - Caroline Karimi, an 18-year-old from Southern California who had been missing since early Monday morning, has contacted her mother and told her she went on a road trip, CBS Los Angeles reports.

According to the station, Karimi contacted her mother from Cheyenne, Wyo. and told her she had gone on a trip with two friends.

Dr. Ardeshir Karimi, the teen's father, had initially told law enforcement and the station that he last saw his daughter around 7 a.m. Monday when she left their home in Cheviot Hills, on L.A.'s west side, to go to work at a hospital where she volunteered.

After leaving her home, the 18-year-old stopped at the Cheviot Hills Shopping Center to pick up food. Security cameras show her walking into a store, grabbing food and then returning to her car and driving away, the station reports.

According to the station, the teen texted her mother prior to leaving the shopping center parking lot to say she was headed to the hospital, but she never arrived at work.

Dr. Ardeshir Karimi told the station Wednesday that his daughter had a mild case of Asperger's Syndrome, but he did not believe that played any role in her disappearance.

The lead detective on the case told the station that Vivian and Valerie Lopes, twins who are thought to be with Caroline Karimi, have also not been seen since Monday. They had e-mail contact with their father, but when asked whether they knew where Karimi was, he said they did not reply.

Karimi's parents said their daughter, a recent high school graduate, had no history of depression or running away.

It is unclear if Karimi was able to explain to her mother why she decided to go on the last-minute road trip or what was behind the adventure.

Detectives said the teen's cell phone had been turned off, making it impossible to track her movements.

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