CNN
—
The only trace of Audrey Cunningham's disappearance may be the red Hello Kitty backpack she was supposed to take to school.
The 11-year-old girl disappeared Thursday morning after leaving to catch a school bus in Livingston, a small town in East Texas about 110 miles northeast of Houston.
Audrey never boarded the bus, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. However, “a small backpack believed to belong to a child was located near the Lake Livingston dam,” the sheriff's office said.
A man currently arrested on an unrelated aggravated assault case is believed to be a “person of interest” in connection with Audrey's disappearance, the sheriff's office announced. However, the girl's whereabouts remain a mystery.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Audrey Cunningham.
Here's what we know about this incident.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Audrey was last seen around 7 a.m. Thursday near her home on Lakeside Drive.
The home is located near Lake Livingston, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Lake Livingston is “one of the state's largest reservoirs, with a surface area of 83,000 acres.” “This lake is a reservoir for the Trinity River, which provides water to the city of Houston and other East Texas cities.”
According to the sheriff's office, “Audrey should have boarded the school bus at a nearby bus stop. However, school officials told the sheriff's office that the school bus never picked her up, and Audrey also reported it to the school.'' I reported that I did not.”
Audrey's family reported her missing after she did not return home from school. The sheriff's office said a multi-agency search was conducted, including the Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, Livingston Police Department, Texas National Guard and several local fire departments.
“A small backpack believed to belong to a child was found near the Livingston Lake Dam,” the Polk County Sheriff's Office announced Friday.
Authorities previously said Audrey was wearing a bright red Hello Kitty backpack.
However, the investigation “remains active and ongoing,” the sheriff's office said.
Kou
Authorities are searching for Audrey Cunningham, an 11-year-old Texas girl who went missing in Polk County on Thursday.
Investigators have identified a 42-year-old man as “one of the persons of interest involved in the disappearance” and believe his dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban was involved, the sheriff's office said. .
The sheriff's office arrested a man Friday on an unrelated aggravated assault charge. Authorities have not released details about how the man is connected to Audrey's disappearance.
“Our main focus and hope is to bring Audrey home safely,” said Lt. Craig Cummings, a Texas DPS spokesman. “But we also recognize that foul play could be a factor.”
Audrey's mother, Kathy Matthews, said her heart always broke for the parents of missing children she heard about on the news.
“This is something you see on TV and you can only imagine what families and parents are going through,” Matthews told CNN affiliate KPRC.
Now she is one of those parents.
“There are no words for it. There's more than one emotion you feel. It's a roller coaster. You're broken, you're crazy, you're empty. And right now I'm empty,” Matthews said. Ta.
“There are so many opportunities ahead of her and she has every right to reach those opportunities.”
Audrey is white, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is approximately 4 feet 1 inch tall and weighs about 75 pounds, the sheriff's office said. The girl was last seen wearing black pants, a black hoodie with white lettering, and black high-top tennis shoes.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to immediately contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 936-327-6810 or submit an anonymous tip online.
CNN's Rosa Flores, Chris Boyette and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
