HOUSTON — The body of a girl, believed to be 12 years old, was found in a creek early Monday morning. Houston police believe someone killed her and they're working to find out who.
During a news conference Monday afternoon, police said someone called 911 a little after 6 a.m. about the child’s body. The victim was found in shallow water in a creek near Rankin Road just west of the North Freeway, not far from where she lived.
Houston police investigators confirm foul play is suspected and an autopsy is being done to determine how she died.
"I have talked to this child's mother. She is devasted, her family is devastated," HPD Chief Larry Satterwhite said. "Her little girl is gone."
Investigators said the girl, whose name hasn't been released, sneaked out of her home at an apartment complex at some point Sunday.
Homicide detectives are working to learn if she was in contact with anyone before she left home.
"Looking into whatever communications could have happened," HPD Lt. Stephen Hope said. "We’re not sure how that was, but we have reason to believe the family did not know that she was leaving the house."
There is surveillance video that detectives hope will give them answers.
"Asking Houstonians to help us find the murderer of this 12-year-old little girl in one of our neighborhoods," Houston Mayor John Whitmire said. "We’re not going to rest until this is resolved and all the bad actors will be held accountable."
Kendrick Sanchez, who lives nearby, said he was shocked to hear about the child's death.
"It’s sad that a 12-year-old girl around here and some foul play happened and they found her under the bridge, you really don’t hear nothing like that," Sanchez told us.
If you have any information about this case, you're asked to call Houston police at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS. There is a $5,000 reward for information about this case.