Kidnapping suspect at center of Dallas Amber Alert still at large
DALLAS - A Dallas girl is back home and safe with her family following an Amber Alert over the weekend.
Police said the 7-year-old girl was with her 9-year-old brother when she was abducted in Oak Cliff on Sunday.
There was relief for the family after the little girl was found alive some 12 hours after being abducted.
"I think she's a bit traumatized. But I can tell she's very happy to be back with the family and everything," said Corey Smith, her cousin. "They brought her to my house earlier this morning, so she's going to be very tired."
Smith said the girl was found walking up a sidewalk at the apartment complex off Argentia Drive, where she lives. Dallas police officers took her to a hospital to be examined.
Amber Alert: 7-year-old girl found safe, Dallas PD looking for suspect
The 7-year-old was taken Sunday around noon in a car near West Kiest Boulevard and South Polk Street in Oak Cliff.
"Gratefully, nothing was seen to be wrong with her. I don't really just talk to her yet," Smith said.
The ordeal started around noon on Sunday. The girl and her brother were walking near the Central Oak Cliff apartment complex when a man reportedly offered them a ride.
"They were approached by what's described as a black male suspect, about 30 years old, short black hair," explained Kristin Lowman with the Dallas Police Department.
They got into a car described as a gray crossover-type vehicle with spots of color missing.
Dallas police released new photos of the vehicle Monday night.
The suspect drove the children to a nearby store in the area of West Kiest Boulevard at South Polk Street.
"The 9-year-old got out of the car, walked up to a store, got up to the door, realized the store was closed, turn back around, and that's when the child saw the suspect take off with the girl still inside the car," Lowman said.
The boy was found unharmed by a passerby in the parking lot.
At the request of Dallas police, DPS issued an Amber Alert for the girl at 6:45 p.m. Sunday.
Lowman said no vehicle was seen when she was dropped back off at the apartment complex around 12:40 Monday morning.
"It's now our job, hopefully with the community's help, to help us to identify this suspect," Lowman said.
Later in the day, Dallas police officers were seen entering a 7-Eleven near that intersection. A clerk said the officers were looking at surveillance cameras that face the rear towards the shopping center where the brother was found.
"Looks like police are still working on trying to get the license plate number for that vehicle he was driving," Smith said.
The family is asking anyone with information about the suspect or vehicle to contact Dallas police.
The FBI and Secret Service are also helping with the case.