Amnesia Teen's Dad Says This Isn't The First Time

Over the weekend, officials announced that they had identified the teenager who was found wandering in Times Square with near-total amnesia. She is 18-year-old Kacie Aleece Peterson of Hansville, Washington, who was first reported missing on October 2nd. But detectives in Washington found bank activity and other evidence that she was alive and getting by, so they did not issue an Amber Alert. Her father Henry Peterson is flying to NYC today, and he says his daughter has experienced amnesia before.

On one previous occasion, Kacie Peterson was found lying by a stream with only patchy memories as to who she was and how she got there. In this most recent incident, Peterson had been living with a friend in Hansville and attending High School. Her mother is deceased, and "there had been some pressure and stress between Kacie and her father," the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. She was finally identified by a friend who saw a CNN report about her.

But aside from the amnesia, Henry Peterson says his daughter has no history of mental illness or drug abuse. He tells the Daily News, "I am totally baffled why she picked up and left." And in an interview with the Post, he says, "She's fairly typical, but she's super quiet. She lost her mom about 11 years ago. It hit her really hard. It's been tough ever since. She's trying to find her way."