Police said Natalie was on foot in the 9300 block of Whistle Stop Place at about 10:08 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. The department issued an endangered missing person alert and said she may need assistance.

Natalie’s mother, Megan Bernhardt, said her daughter is autistic and had been anxious about school evaluations planned for the next morning. Bernhardt said Natalie left home, and she was unable to stop her. She believes Natalie may have boarded a DART train; the Lake Highlands station is a short walk from the family’s apartment complex. Natalie had ridden the train before, her mother said, but had never been gone this long.

Bernhardt said Natalie may not always recognize risks, including the danger of getting into a stranger’s vehicle. Natalie does not have a cellphone, and Bernhardt and volunteer searcher Alfonso Solis said they have few leads. A possible sighting in Grapevine on Friday night had not been confirmed as of Sunday.

Solis, a volunteer tracker with Send Me DFW, urged residents to watch for Natalie and contact police rather than approach her if they see her alone. “If it is, don’t approach her. Call the police,” he said.

Natalie is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, blue jeans and white shoes. Her mother said she often wears loose clothing and band T-shirts and likes 1990s grunge music.

Anyone with information about Natalie’s whereabouts should call 911 or Dallas police at 214-671-4268 and cite case No. 155505-2026.