Authorities in Colorado say a missing 12-year-old girl has been located because a local police officer and her K-9 partner happened to be in the area on an unrelated dispatch.
According to Fox News, Brianna Weinart’s family said she disappeared on Monday morning.
As confirmed in a statement by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy K. Fosler and a bloodhound named Jessie were in the area when they learned of an ongoing search for the missing girl. They reportedly joined the search party, but the hot temperatures required them to stop frequently to cool off and the desolate landscape complicated Jessie’s attempts to follow a scent.
The agency stated that Fosler and her canine companion aided in the search for about two hours before the deputy became concerned that they had hit a wall.
“Turns out, [Jessie] knew exactly where she was going and as the pair got closer to a home, Jessie went around to the back and near a large bush, they spotted the girl, hiding.”
Brianna had been gone for nearly an entire day, was sunburned and in need of food and water. Nevertheless, law enforcement said she was “otherwise uninjured” upon receiving a checkup.
Investigators do not believe there was a criminal component to the disappearance and chalked the happy ending up to “our core mission of Protect, Serve, Enforce.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office]
