HOUSTON – A bad reaction to medication is being blamed for the weekend disappearance of Texas A&M sports reporter Courtney Roland.
Houston police said Roland, who was the subject of a search that started after she was reported missing by her roommate Sunday evening, had a reaction to medication she was taking, which caused her to become confused and disoriented.
[SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A TIMELINE OF HER DISAPPEARANCE]
“She seems pretty confused about everything,” police said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Roland, 29, a reporter for AggieYell.com, was reported missing Saturday after covering Texas Team Elite football camp in west Houston, police said.
She was seen around 5:40 p.m. Sunday walking alone in a store in the Galleria mall, police said.
Police found her white 2010 Jeep Cherokee early Monday morning in the parking lot of an Ethan Allen in the Galleria area.
Investigators found Roland's phone and other items inside the SUV, police said. Her purse was found at a nearby business.
Capt. Mark Lentini with the Houston Police Department Missing Persons said Monday that investigators believe Roland mistakenly thought she lost her phone, and spent much of the time she was missing searching for it.
"We believe she was looking for her phone, but because she was in a confused state, she wasn’t thinking straight. She came back to the Galleria area, parked her car, and wandered off," Lentini said.
Around 7 a.m. Monday, a motorist spotted Roland walking beneath the 610 West Loop overpass at Richmond Avenue. He called police.
Houston police officers found Roland sitting at a table at a nearby Chick-fil-A restaurant around 8:15 a.m.
Roland's roommate told KPRC2 that Roland texted her about a suspicious man she saw in Walgreens who was following her.
The roommate said he followed Roland to her home in a blue truck as she was parked in the driveway. The roommate said the blue truck looped back around and parked behind her and Roland got out of her car and the truck sped off.
VIDEO: Police release new details in case
The roommate said she and Roland were supposed to meet up, but the roommate didn't hear from her again.
Roland's mother said that on Sunday she received a text from her phone saying, "hello the owner of this phone Courtney. I am buying an iPad."
The roommate also said Roland's vehicle was broken into six weeks ago and she had been on high alert.
During the search, many people took to Twitter using the hashtag #HelpFindCourtney in an effort to locate the reporter. Gov. Greg Abbott was among them.
#HelpFindCourtney https://t.co/LNUNsG1HBk
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 8, 2018
Police said Roland did not appear to be injured and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
HPD would not disclose where she was found or which hospital she was taken to.
Video of Courtney Roland inside ambulance shortly after she was found in Galleria. More on the investigation on @KPRC2 at 11 am. #CourtneyRoland #findCourtneyRoland #courtneyinhouston #hounews pic.twitter.com/tuT0Ib1aEv
— Sofía Ojeda (@KPRC2Sofia) January 8, 2018
Roland's father, Steve Roland, said the family is overwhelmed with the support in helping to find his daughter.
"We have strong faith in God and he's in control," Steve Roland said.
The details of her disappearance were not disclosed.
Roland was an intern at Channel 2 in 2010.
Timeline of Roland’s disappearance
Saturday
- During the day - Covers assignment at Texas Team Elite football camp in west Houston
- 5:30 p.m. – Roland’s roommate gets a text from her saying she is being followed
- 11:30 p.m. – Text is sent to Roland’s mother about an iPad
Sunday
- 2 p.m. – Roland is spotted in the Galleria
- 11 p.m. – Roland’s purse is found at the Starbucks on the second floor of the Galleria
- Near midnight – Roland is spotted at a Walgreens near the Galleria
Monday
- 12:30 a.m. – Roland’s Jeep is found parked at Ethan Allen Store at 51000 block of Westheimer Road at Post Oak Boulevard
- 7 a.m. – Roland is spotted walking under the 610 overpass at Richmond Avenue
- 8:15 a.m. – Police find Roland at a Chick-fil-A restaurant at Richmond Avenue and Post Oak Boulevard