HOUSTON — We've learned new information about the investigation into the death of a 12-year-old girl whose body was found in a north Houston creek early Monday. 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 West Rankin Road just west of the North Freeway, not far from where she lived.
HPD investigators said the girl, whose name hasn't been released, sneaked out of her family's apartment on Sunday.
On Tuesday, Mayor John Whitmire released new details about the case during a city council meeting.
'Very, very bad, horrific circumstances'
According to Whitmire, the girl's mother last saw her around 10 p.m. Sunday when she put everyone to bed. He said the girl left home sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight.
The mayor said the victim was talking with her 13-year-old boyfriend on the phone that night.
“It appears that he last talked to her at a convenience store around midnight, heard her talking to two grown-ups," Whitmire said. "There will be a report issued shortly with
He asked for prayers for the victim's family.
'Her little girl is gone'
"I have talked to this child's mother. She is devasted, her family is devastated," HPD Chief Larry Satterwhite said Monday. "Her little girl is gone."
HPD hasn't confirmed the new details the mayor released. They said Monday that an autopsy is being done to determine how the victim died.
Homicide detectives were 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," Whitmire said Monday. "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.