POLICE say missing teenager Dom Nichols is not a runaway, and are pleading with the public to come forward with any sightings, particularly around the Mildura South area.
The 15-year-old has now been missing for just over a week, with no CCTV or confirmed sightings of him since he left his Merbein home about 7.30pm on September 14.
Mildura Detective acting Sergeant Adam Brymer said Dom was autistic, and would never leave home at night, or without telling his family.
"We’ve got some real concerns, it is so far out of character, it’s not a normal situation, or a child that’s run away from home. There is something else going on there," Sgt Brymer said.
“This has never occurred before, Dom has never left home in any scenario similar to this."
Police now have information that places Dom around Fifteenth Street, Mildura, for an extended period on the night of his disappearance.
"There are some areas of interest in particular locally here in Mildura over the night of the 14th and 15th (of September) which is a Wednesday night into a Thursday morning around the Mildura South area from midnight through until 10am.
"So around the central plaza shopping area. We then think Dom has travelled out of Mildura into the rural NSW area and then on to Cowra later in the afternoon on the 15th."
Sgt Brymer said anyone travelling through rural NSW to Mildura, from Merbein to Mildura, or in the Mildura South area in the early hours of that morning, is asked to check any dashcam footage.
He said that given the distance Dom is believed to have travelled, police could not rule out that he may be travelling with someone.
“Dom doesn’t have access to vehicles to travel alone so if it appears he’s travelled to NSW, it’s probably suggested there’s some level of transport there and someone might be in his company,” he said.
The teenager was last seen wearing a black studded hand-painted jacket, brown pants and black boots, and is described as Caucasian, about 173cm tall with blue eyes and a mohawk.
“Dom’s quite distinct in his appearance, he has a mohawk haircut and apricot or faded red hair, so we do believe that someone has seen Dom somewhere," Sgt Brymer said.
Anyone who sights Dom, or has information on his whereabouts, is urged to call 000 or Mildura police station on 5018 5300.
