Columbia Heights teen missing for three weeks likely being ‘held against his will,’ police say

Law enforcement officials said Wednesday that they suspect a 16-year-old boy who has been missing for three weeks is being held “against his will,” adding that a “person of interest” has been identified.

Jordan “Manny” Collins Jr. of Columbia Heights was last seen on May 8 near the 4900 block of University Avenue NE., the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said.

Collins is described as Black, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a white ribbed tank top with red and black plaid pants.

Since Collins was last seen, “there has been no known phone or social media use by him,” Columbia Heights Police Chief Matt Markham said at a news conference.

Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise added that lack of activity is suspicious, because “16-year-olds don’t just disconnect the way Manny did via social media.”

Markham said that numerous people have been interviewed and various parks in the area have been searched.

“We believe his disappearance is against his will,” Wise said. “We fear worse.”

The sheriff said that some leads are being pursued and that authorities “do have a person of interest who so far has not been helpful, despite the fact you would expect he would want to be helpful.” He declined to say more.

The term “person of interest” is routinely used by law enforcement in reference to someone who is not yet a suspect in a criminal investigation.

Collins’ mother, Ashley Berry, said at the news conference that her son’s disappearance “is like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.”

Berry said her son has never run away before and had been visiting his father with plans to return on June 4. No one at the news conference identified the father or said where he lives.

She said her son’s phone has been off since the day he disappeared, other than for three minutes of activity on May 11.

“He’s not lost,” Berry said. “Wherever he is, he’s somewhere he doesn’t want to be.”

In hopes that her son would see the news conference, she said: “Manny, if you are looking at this … I love you, and you know how much I am worried."

Wise said that he and the family are confident that “somebody knows something. Maybe if it’s even just in the back of their mind somewhere, they should reach out.”

The sheriff asked that residents check their property in the area where Collins was last seen. They also requested that residents and business owners review any surveillance video on May 8-12 and provide it to law enforcement through this online portal.

Tips in the case are being fielded by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 877-996-6222 and bca.tips@state.mn.us.