HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida K9 helped deputies locate a “missing and endangered” 11-year-old girl on Friday by tracking the child to a bathroom at a local park, law enforcement officials said.
Deputy Sarah Ernstes and K9 Mary Lu of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 16000 block of Carlton Lake Drive at about 8 p.m. to search for the missing girl. The deputy and her K9 partner tracked the child to a neighbor’s house, where they discovered the residents had given her a ride to a nearby apartment complex in Wimauma, authorities said, according to Fox News Digital.
Searching units relocated to that location, HCSO said. Upon arrival, K9 Mary Lu tracked and eventually alerted deputies to a locked bathroom door at a park in the area.
The missing girl was inside the locked restroom. Deputies were able to successfully talk her into unlocking the door, the sheriff’s office said.
K9 Mary Lu tracked the missing girl where she was found safe inside a locked restroom at a local park. (HCSO)
Fortunately, the girl was located safe and without injury, the New York Post reported.
“Our team HCSO K9 Unit has once again proven its invaluable role in our community,” Sheriff Chad Chronister in a news release. “With their exceptional skills, they successfully located and brought home a missing 11-year-old girl, reuniting her safely with her family. I couldn’t be prouder of our team’s commitment to service and determination to protect and serve.”
