Mother of Teekah Lewis wants possible sighting investigated

A mother desperate for answers in a 25-year-old cold case is pushing back against the Tacoma Police Department.

TACOMA, Wash. - A mother desperate for answers in a 25-year-old cold case is pushing back against the Tacoma Police Department.

The disappearance of 2-year-old Teekah Lewis from a Tacoma bowling alley back in 1999 rocked the community. An age progression photo shows what she might look like today.

For years, we've heard from Teekah's mom, Theresa, who has begged for justice. Now, she says she’s doing things "her way."

"I want answers," said Theresa Czapiewski. "I’m tired of being nice."

What she wants to see is the surveillance video from a local Home Depot after a woman matching her daughter's description allegedly walked in Monday night, asking to use the bathroom.

"This tip is very, very big," she said. "We don’t want this girl to get away because what if it's Teekah and she’s scared?"

Theresa told FOX 13 Seattle the Home Depot employee who made contact with the woman was Teekah’s uncle.

"My brother had the feeling, like, ‘this could be your daughter,’" Theresa said about her initial conversation with her brother Tim. "He would never have called me if he didn’t feel like that."

The tip was given to Tacoma Police on Tuesday. Theresa said she submitted it herself but didn’t get an immediate call back.

That is one of the many things she’s upset by.

When she did get a call back, she said the detective said he would look into it, but that he was busy at the moment.

"He said, ‘we have a homicide to work on,’" Theresa recalled. "I understand that, but this is a 25-year-old case and who knows, this could be my daughter."

While the case has never been closed, Teekah’s mom worries the woman in the video could be long gone.

"It might not be Teekah but it could be her and we can’t just wait. I need them to look into it."

Tuesday marks 25 years since Teekah Lewis disappeared

The then 2-year-old was last seen playing in the arcade area at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in the 4700 block of Center Street on Jan. 23, 1999.

She said she wants more urgency from TPD.

FOX 13 Seattle reached out to the department about the potential sighting and supplied them with a police report given to us by Teekah’s family. We have not yet heard back.

Anyone with information about Teekah’s disappearance is asked to visit the Crime Stoppers of Pierce County at tpcrimestoppers.com or call 800-222-TIPS.