An 18-year-old woman who became the subject of a city-wide search after failing to show up for a Girl Guides meeting last Tuesday has broken her silence.
Michelle Yu was reunited with her family early Monday evening after mysteriously surfacing in Vancouver over the weekend.
In an impromptu press conference outside her family's home, the York Mills Collegiate student apologized for any grief she may have caused.
"From the bottom of my heart I am so sorry for putting everybody through this," she said. "I am so happy to be home with my family. I'm just glad to be back."
Yu was last seen Tuesday evening using her bank card at a TD Bank near Queen and Bay streets.
Though police contended all long that Yu had likely disappeared of her own free will, her friends and family expressed concern for her safety and took to the streets to hand out missing person photos.
They also solicited information about her whereabouts using several social media sites and kept the story in the headlines by regularly speaking with the media.
"To the media, my friends, my family, my schoolmates and to the greater community I just can't thank you guys enough for all your well wishes, prayers and concerns," Yu told reporters Monday. "The kindness from everybody has shown me how much I am really loved."
It is not known why Yu went to Vancouver or how she got there, but a family friend did tell CP24 that she didn't fly.
She returned with her father, who had flown to British Columbia on Sunday to bring his daughter home.
"It's just been a really difficult time and I am trying to get through everything right now," Yu said.
Yu, who was flanked by her mother and father, did not answer any questions during Monday's press conference.
