Police in San Antonio, Texas, have released more details about the search for a missing 3-year-old girl who disappeared a full day ago.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Lina Sardar Kihl disappeared early Monday evening while she was at a playground at her San Antonio apartment complex.
According to KENS 5, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said at a press conference Tuesday that investigators were using all available resources, including surveillance footage and resident interviews, in the search for the missing girl. The police chief indicated there has been progress in the investigation since Monday evening, when authorities had not yet determined whether there were potential witnesses who may be able to provide information.
“There were other folks with their children in the playground,” McManus said on Tuesday, adding that investigators had identified most but not all of the adults.
“This goes on for 24 hours a day, what we’re doing right now .. And we will continue this until, hopefully, we find Lina. But we are not stopping at the end of the shift. This will be continuous,” the police chief said. He also noted that no one was being permitted in or out of the complex without speaking to a police officer.
According to KSAT, police are going door-to-door in the 300-unit apartment complex to search for information and possible clues about the girl’s disappearance.
McManus reportedly said at Tuesday’s news conference that Lina’s mother lost track of her daughter around 5 p.m. Monday when she briefly stepped away from the playground, returning to discover that her daughter was missing. Authorities appear to be unclear about exactly how long the mother was separated from her daughter. The family reported the girl missing at about 7:15 p.m. Monday, and police began searching right away. The FBI has now joined the investigation, KENS reports.
Texas authorities had issued an AMBER Alert, indicated that they believe the girl may have been abducted, but have not provided any information about a possible suspect or vehicle, which is typically a condition of AMBER Alerts.
“We are not stopping at the end of a shift. This will be continuous” until the girl is found, McManus reportedly said at the press conference. “We’re not waiting for others. We have a command bus. We will do this for the long haul if necessary.”
Law enforcement sources said the girl’s mother, who speaks an uncommon Arabic dialect that required the intervention of a translator, has been cooperative with the investigation.
Lina Sardar Kihl is described as four feet tall, 55 pounds, with dark shoulder-length hair that was in a ponytail when she disappeared. When she was last seen, she was wearing a red dress, black shoes, and a black jacket.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Antonio Police Department’s missing person’s unit at (210) 207-7660.
