The mother of an 11-year-old Texas girl whose daughter disappeared on the way to school is pleading for her safe return.
Audrii Cunningham disappeared early Thursday morning in Livingston, northeast of Houston, after her father dropped her off at the bus stop.
They haven’t seen her since she left. Her parents are desperate for news of her whereabouts.
‘There’s no feeling you feel, it’s a rollercoaster, you’re broken, you’re angry, you’re empty and right now I’m empty. “He has a lot of opportunities ahead of him and he deserves every right to be able to take advantage of them,” said mother Cassie Matthews. KPRC.
“We would like her to come home, it’s not like her to just run away or disappear, she has a lot of loving family, she has a lot of people who love her and adore her. We have no clues, so we cling to any thread, any sign, any anything in general.
Eleven-year-old Audrii Cunningham disappeared in Texas on her way to school on Thursday.
His disappearance led his desperate mother, Cassie Matthews, to plead for his safe return.
Don Steven McDougal, 42, has been arrested on an unrelated charge.
Audrii, 11, went missing early Thursday morning in Livingston, northeast of Houston, after being dropped off at the bus stop and has not been seen since.
“I’m not going to be the same unless my baby is returned to me and neither will her family, any of us, any of her friends, any of the people she’s been connected to in the community.”
Audrii disappeared near her home around 7 a.m. Thursday and was supposed to board the school bus, but never made it to class, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reports. That same afternoon an Amber Alert was issued.
“It’s hard to understate, this is what you see on TV and you can only imagine what the family and the parents are going through and there are no words to describe it,” Matthew said during a tearful news conference.
On Saturday afternoon, Texas Department of Safety officials revealed that they had found the girl’s backpack near a dam on Lake Livingston.
A suspect, Don Steven McDougal, 42, has been arrested on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault, but he is also a person of interest in Audrii’s disappearance, having recently acted as the boy’s babysitter.
Police began searching wooded areas near the girl’s house as she is a wildlife lover.
‘I mean we’re hopeful that we can bring Audrii home alive and that’s absolutely what we’re working towards right now. “Based on the evidence we have, we understand that foul play is also a factor,” said Lt. Craig Cummings, pictured.
‘There’s no feeling you feel, it’s a rollercoaster, you’re broken, you’re angry, you’re empty and right now I’m empty. “He has many opportunities ahead of him and deserves every right to take advantage of them,” said mother Cassie Matthews.
Police are now searching for McDougal’s dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban that may be linked to the young man’s disappearance, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Audrii disappeared near her home around 7 a.m. Thursday and was supposed to board the school bus, but never made it to class.
On Saturday afternoon, Texas Department of Safety officials revealed that they had found the girl’s backpack near a dam on Lake Livingston.
Audrii, who is 4-foot-1 with blonde hair and blue eyes, was wearing a black hoodie with white lettering, black pants and black high-top sneakers when her father last saw her.
‘I mean we’re hopeful that we can bring Audrii home alive and that’s absolutely what we’re working towards right now. “Based on the evidence we have, we understand that foul play is also a factor,” said Lt. Craig Cummings.
Police are now searching for McDougal’s dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban that may be linked to the young man’s disappearance, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
School officials have said Audrii was not picked up by the bus and did not attend Thursday.
Investigators began searching the woods near her home and it is known that she is a wildlife lover.
Audrii, who is 4’1″, has blonde hair and blue eyes, wore a black hoodie with white lettering, black pants, black high-top sneakers and a bright red ‘Hello Kitty’ style backpack when she had her father, Joshua. Cunningham, left her at the bus stop.