2 girls missing from Phoenix apartment found safe thanks to neighbor
Phoenix Police have found two young siblings who went missing from their Phoenix apartment complex on Saturday night.
Amina and Amanirena Sterling, who are 4 and 3 years old respectively, went missing Saturday, October 9 after their motherlost sight of them near the residence, according to Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Ann Justus.
Shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday, Phoenix police officers responded to a call at an apartment complex near Missouri and 15th avenues, where the mother reportedly told police that she had last seen her daughters at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Justus.
The Phoenix Police Department received an anonymous tip on Sunday morning from an individual who said they thought they saw the girls at a nearby location with an adult.
Officers responded to that location and they located both girls “happy, healthy and playing” near the apartment complex at a YMCA at 17th and Missouri avenues, according to Justus.
“What we learned after speaking to that adult, was she located the children last night,” Justus said.
“She is vaguely familiar with these children and this apartment complex,” Justus said. “She attempted to return the children to the residence but was unable to for reasons that I can’t get into right now.”
Police say that the individual then “took the children back to her apartment to sleep and then she took them out to play today. She was not aware that anyone had reported them missing or that we were out here actively looking for them,” said Justus.
“She doesn’t watch the news, she said, and she doesn’t have social media,” said Justus. “She has been extremely cooperative.”
“Now that we have found them we can take a breath,” said Justus.
She stated during a news conference that the investigation would be “transitioning to determine if the elements of child neglect were present in this case.”
“The Department of Child Safety is out here. They will evaluate the situation and determine safe placement for the children, whether that’s back with family, friends or in their custody,” said Justus.
A task force called the AZ Child Abduction Response Team helped in the search. The group is comprised of representatives from the Phoenix Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, FBI, and United States Marshals which allowed for extra resources during the search.
The gap in time from the kids being last seen at 6:30 p.m. to the phone call at 2 a.m. is being investigated.
Reach breaking news reporter Steven Hernandez at [email protected] or on Twitter @The_HdzCo.
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