‘We just want you back': Mother pleads for missing Dallas 13-year-old to come home

Her mother believes Natalie may have gotten on the transit agency and ended up in an unfamiliar area. Natalie s mother, Megan Bernhardt, said her daughter is autistic and has been experiencing anxiety related to school. “We have not had any contact with her since she left on Wednesday night,” her mother said. “She ran out with nothing on her, like no phone, no electronics, no money.” The Dallas Police Department has also asked for help finding Natalie, who is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs about 135 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Police said she was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, blue jeans and white shoes. “The shoes, I think, are probably the most recognizable thing on her, Bernhardt said. Armstrong was last seen on foot in the 9300 block of Whistle Stop Place on October 21, 2026, at approximately 10:08 p.m. Bernhardt said the lack of contact from her daughter is concerning. “She knows my phone number. She does, so it’s alarming that she hasn’t reached out,” Bernhardt said. Her mother said Natalie may be more comfortable approaching someone her own age than an adult and urged parents to ask their teenagers whether they have seen or spoken with her. Anyone with information as to Natalie’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Dallas Police Department by calling 9-1-1 or 214-671-4268. Please reference case number 155505-2026. Speaking directly to her daughter during an interview with NBC 5, Bernhardt pleaded for her return. “Natalie, we’re so worried, and we love you so much. Like, we just want you to come home, and we want everything to be okay,” she said. “You’re not in trouble. We just need you to come home.”