I know of a situation like that--went on for a few weeks. A girl at my DD's middle school ran away. She had been fighting with her mom a lot and left a noter saying she was going to San Francisco to find her dad.
Turns out, she spent 2 weeks in her best friends bedroom. Her friend lived with a single dad, and he rarely barged into his daughters room. He was careful to always knock, and he worked long hours, so he never noticed LOL
But it is possible but not probable, if that makes sense.
That's what is so difficult about this case... there are many scenarios that are POSSIBLE. Yes, some are more probable than others... but probable doesn't equal fact (yet). For now, I guess we wait for LE to release more information or make an arrest.