HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A statewide AMBER Alert for a Harris County teen has been canceled. The 13-year-old girl was found safe, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
No other details were released.
The girl's family last saw her around 10:30 p.m. at their home in east Harris County.
When the AMBER Alert was issued around 12:40 a.m., the Harris County Sheriff's Office said the teen was believed to be with a man and in danger.
The girl's mother said she didn't know the man she was seen with and she was frantic with worry.
"My daughter, if you are seeing this, please return," she told us before the girl was found. "I'm desperate and need you to return home. Please, please daughter, return. We need you here."
What are the criteria for an AMBER Alert?
According to the Texas Center for the Missing, the following five criteria must be met to activate the Houston Regional Amber Alert System (HRAAS) or the Texas Statewide Amber Network.
- The missing child must be 17 years of age or younger.
- The law enforcement agency believes the missing child has been abducted. This means the child was either unwillingly taken from their environment without permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian, or taken by the child’s parent or legal guardian who commits an act of murder or attempted murder during the time of the abduction.
- The law enforcement agency believes the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death.
- The law enforcement agency has conducted an investigation that has verified that an abduction has taken place or ruled out alternative explanations.
- Sufficient information is available to distribute to the public that could assist in locating the abducted child, suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction.
What to do when someone goes missing
Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost.
From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the nonprofit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help.
