Girl found safe after search near Licking
A 10-year-old girl — who disappeared overnight Sunday — was found early Monday afternoon hiding in a pile of debris with her dog.
Texas County Sheriff Scott Lindsey said the girl was last seen on Texas Tower Road at about 10 p.m. Sunday when her family went to bed. The next morning authorities were notified she was missing. It was unclear what she might have been wearing when she disappeared. A deputy quickly found her bicycle with frost on it on Highway N, south of the home. Lindsey said the investigation ended when a resident saw the girl and the border collie about one-half mile from where the bicycle had been found in the 16100 block of Highway N.
The disappearance set off a search in the area northwest of Licking that involved the sheriff’s department, the Houston Police Department that used its drone, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Region G K9 Team, Phelps County Sheriff’s Department and citizens who offered assistance.
Officers viewed video in the neighborhood and covered property in an area from Texas Tower Road to Highway N near Lewis Lane. At about 1:50 p.m. the resident reported the sighting.
UPDATE AT 1:40 p.m.: The child and dog have been located safely, an officer said. Search teams are leaving the area.
The Texas County Sheriff’s Department is searching for a missing girl in northern Texas County.
The girl is 10 years old with blonde hair. Deputies are looking in an area near Texas Tower Road and Highway N, which is northwest of Licking. The location is near Lewis Lane, authorities said.
A bicycle was found covered in frost. The girl, who left in unknown clothing, may be with a border collie. Surveillance cameras in the area are also being checked. The Houston Police Department is deploying a drone to the search area. By late morning, a K-9 unit had been requested, and the Texas County Sheriff’s Department asked that the public avoid the area.
Persons who spot her should call 911.
