A missing Nissan that Houston girl Maleah Davis was allegedly in when her stepfather claimed he was hit over the head and abducted, has been found in Missouri City, Texas.
ABC 13 reports that according to Tim Miller with the Texas Equusearch, authorities found and searched the vehicle Thursday morning. Maleah’s mother, Brittany Bowens, was at the scene, crying for her daughter and pleading for answers, but Maleah wasn’t in the vehicle.
“Where is Maleah? Where is my baby?”
According to Houston police, a woman spotted the vehicle in a parking lot off of Highway 6 and Riverstone Boulevard, and contacted authorities immediately. The car appeared clean and “normal” and had one car seat inside. The vehicle is being towed to HPD headquarters, where a crime scene analyst will process it and do a thorough investigation.
Detectives haven’t spoken to Maleah’s stepfather, 26-year-old Darion Vence, in a few days. Authorities have been trying to contact him, but he hasn’t been responsive. At this point, he is not considered a suspect but he is considered a person of interest who detectives would like to speak with.
HPD investigators update media on search for missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis #hounews https://t.co/GRdsCTcTmQ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 9, 2019
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Vence told authorities he was driving the silver Nissan Altima along Greens Road and Highway 59 on Friday evening, near Humble, when he heard a “popping noise” coming from his vehicle.
Vence told police he had two children in the car, his toddler son and stepdaughter Maleah, and was on his way to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport to pick up the children’s mother, Bowens, who was returning to Texas from Massachusetts.
Vence said he pulled over to check the tires on his vehicle and within a few minutes, three unknown Hispanic males pulled up in a blue 2010 Chevrolet crew cab pickup. Vence said two men got out of the truck, and while one made comments about Maleah, the other reportedly struck him in the head.
“On of them makes a comment and says, ‘Maleah looks very nice, very sweet,’” Sargent Mark Holbrook with the Houston Police Department said during a Sunday afternoon press conference. “The other man hits Darion in the head. Darion loses consciousness. Darion is able to wake up during a period of time and he was in the back of the blue truck.”
Around 6 p.m. on Saturday, Vence, in and out of consciousness, woke up to find himself and his son on Highway 6 in Sugar Land with his 1-year-old son, according to what he told authorities. Maleah was not with him. Vence said he walked to Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land and arrived around 11 p.m. on Saturday.
2/2: Photo of assault victim, Mr. Darion Vence, who is Maleah's stepfather, stated he was unconscious for almost 24 hrs. Detectives ask anyone who saw Darion or Maleah after 9 pm Friday (May 3) to 6 pm on Sat to contact HPD Homicide 713-308-3600 or @CrimeStopHOU at 713-222-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/nuZHA1EQPY
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 5, 2019
Vence told police that the vehicle, which belongs to Bowens, was missing.
Meanwhile, police said that Vence’s version of what happened has changed several times.
“During the initial interview, the man’s story did change several times and some of what he told us just didn’t add up,” spokesperson for Sugar Land police, Doug Adolph said.
Further, the Nissan was spotted on security footage driving around Sugar Land on Saturday, at around 3 p.m.
Maleah still has not been found.
The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Maleah Davis/Handout]
