UPDATE: Missing Allentown runaway, 2 others 'found safe,' police say

Amy Yu, the 16-year-old Allentown girl who ran off earlier this year to Mexico with a 45-year-old man, is one of three girls reported missing early Monday from a residential program for at-risk youth, authorities report.

Yu, Nichole Richard, 17, and Ajah Linares, 16, got into a car at 1:21 a.m. and left VisionQuest in Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania State Police said.

Yu was possibly wearing pants, a sweatshirt and dark sneakers with light-colored laces, police said.

Richard now has red hair and is possibly wearing a light-colored three-quarter sleeved two-tone shirt, shorts and carrying a backpack/cinch bag and a duffel bag, police said.

Linares, who has long black hair, is possibly wearing a tank top and skinny jeans and carrying a bright pink camouflage bag, police said.

The girls are not a threat to the public, police said.

Allentown police have been advised of Yu's disappearance and are on the lookout in case she tries to return to the city, Assistant Chief Gail Struss said.

VisionQuest in Greene Township offers "holistic services for victims of commercial sexual exploitation of children," according to an online job listing.

Greene Township is southwest of Harrisburg and near the Maryland border.

Yu and Kevin Esterly, of Lowhill Township, flew March 5 from Philadelphia to Cancun, authorities said at the time. They were involved in a secretive relationship, officials reported.

They were found about 10:30 a.m. March 17 in Playa del Carmen by Homeland Security investigators, the Policia Federal Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit and the United States Marshals Service, according to Allentown police.

Esterly is being held in Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail on charges of interference with child custody, concealment of whereabouts of child and corruption of minors. He has a pretrial trial scheduled for Aug. 27.

Reporter Sarah Cassi contributed to this post.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.