Lafayette Teen With Health Concerns Now Home Safe

UPDATE: Ella has been located and is now home safe.

A mother and father are urgently searching for their 17-year-old daughter, Ella Deshotel, who was last seen on December 2 around 7:09 p.m., leaving the Sonic on Johnston Street near O’Reilly’s and Planet Nutrition.

Surveillance footage shows Ella getting into the car pictured below and heading south on Johnston Street.

Ella is considered high-risk due to her ongoing medical issues. About three weeks ago, she suffered a severe seizure, and over the past year, she has experienced multiple episodes of syncope or fainting. Her family is still awaiting results from medical testing to determine the cause and appropriate treatment, which makes her disappearance even more alarming.

According to her parents, Ella abandoned her truck and phone before leaving a note indicating she intended to run away. However, this is not her vehicle. The car she was seen entering in the surveillance video remains unidentified.

Her parents, Brad and Heather Deshotel, are desperate to bring their daughter home, “We are extremely concerned about her well-being; if you know anything or see anything, please contact us immediately.”

Anyone with information about Ella’s whereabouts is urged to contact her father, Brad, at 337-303-3027 or her mother, Heather, at 337-257-4141.

Ella’s family is asking the community to share her information widely in hopes of bringing her home safely.

This is a developing story, and the KPEL News Team is working to provide additional coverage for Acadiana. Updates will be shared as they become available, so download the KPEL News app via Google Play or in the App Store and subscribe to breaking news alerts to get the latest information sent directly to your mobile device.

You can also use the KPEL app to submit a news tip, share a traffic update, or chat directly with our on-air team.

Be sure to bookmark our latest site, wearelafayette.net, where we provide more local news coverage as well as lifestyle and community features.

To report errors, omissions, or other concerns regarding the content above, send emails to news@kpel965.com.