HOUSTON – A missing 5-year-old has been found safe after someone dropped her off at a southwest Houston police substation Tuesday afternoon, according to the child’s family.
The child was reported missing at 1:05 p.m. after she left the home near the 1600 block of Lost Quail Drive, near Missouri City.
Missouri City police assisted Houston police and the child’s family in the search. Hours later, the family was notified that the girl was dropped off at the substation, located at 13097 Nitida St., just 10 minutes and nine miles from the home she left.
The girl’s family rushed to pick her up and said she is healthy, happy and physically OK.
“I’m feeling thrilled. I’m excited. My family is excited. We got my niece back and we’d like to thank everybody that helped us. The police officers that helped us were on it, they were on it. They sweated with us, they shared tears with us, and at the end of the day, I’m just grateful”, said Martisha Grandy, the little girl’s aunt.
Houston Police Detective Sean King with the missing person division said 5-year-old Emerie Mitchell was found by a woman who spotted her standing alone at the intersection of McHard and Quail Run Drive.
The woman said she could tell the little girl was in trouble, so she asked the child where she was going and then offered the little girl a ride to the nearest police station.
“The passerby that located her said that she watched her for a little while and then when she noticed there was no one behind her or with her, she got concerned. She turned her car around and picked her up and brought her to the police station”, said Detective Sean King, Houston Police Missing Persons Division.