By John Clise
Authorities in San Antonio, Texas, continue to search for three old Lina Sadar Khil who has been missing since December 20 from the 9400 Block Fredericksburg Road, wearing a red dress, black jacket and black shoes at a playground at her family’s apartment complex after reportedly being left there for a then unknown amount of time by her mother who returned later to find her missing.
According to police reports, the investigation into the child’s disappearance has turned up no leads or information on her whereabouts.
“It’s disheartening that we haven’t found anything that leads us closer to Lina,” San Antonio Police Department Police Chief William McManus said during a press briefing on Tuesday, December 28. “There’s nothing that we haven’t done to try to find her. It’s frustrating and disheartening and disappointing that we haven’t come up with something yet.”
Chief McManus noted the onsite command center had shut down over the weekend and that those involved are combing through paper evidence and videos collected in an effort to find the child.
He went on to say they were “looking at some people” but didn’t go any further with details.
Law enforcement officials do believe the child is in grave or immediate danger.
The FBI has also entered the investigation with Justin Garris, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio office, asking for continued input from the community that may help in the investigation.
According to reports from the FBI, the original unknown time of the child being left alone has been narrowed down to 18 minutes.
There’s an 18-minute gap from 4:49 p.m. to 5:07 p.m. where there was no sign of Lina on video during this time, Garris noted. He has asked the public to share any tips or any information with the SAPD or the FBI.
Garris noted it is an aggressive investigation in the search for the child that has included the child abduction rapid deployment team, behavioral analysis unit, intelligence response teams, forensic examiners, and hundreds of combined agents of the SAPD and FBI engaged in the investigation.
According to reports, law enforcement officials went door to door to check all 300 units in the complex as well as the vehicles in the parking lot following the disappearance. Additionally, law enforcement officials swept area dumpsters for a second time in a week to check for any new or undiscovered clues.
Officers are using search dogs to check city green spaces, and other locations in the area looking for the missing child.
Khil’s family are refugees from Afghanistan who arrived in San Antonio in 2019, Lina’s father, Riaz Sardar Khil, said last week with the help of a translator.
Her father has said he believes his daughter was abducted.
On Christmas Eve, the SAPD posted:
The Department’s search continues for little Lina Sardar Khil. While there have been no substantial updates to report, we continue to deploy an all hands on deck approach to ensure no evidence, witness statement or clues are left undiscovered.
Every second counts when a child is missing, and that is why we are asking anyone who was at the Villas del Cabo Apartment Complex located at 9400 Fredericksburg Road between 4:30 – 5:10 pm on Monday, December 20th, to contact the Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660 with actionable tips.
Also, we are asking the public that if anyone had contact with Lina or her family at any time on Monday, December 20th, and have not spoken with law enforcement, please call us as soon as possible. No detail is too small as we continue to search for Lina. Our community is very important to us and we must all come together to bring Lina home to her family.
A $50,000 reward is now being offered by Crime Stoppers of San Antonio for information leading to the arrest / indictment of anyone involved in Lina’s disappearance.
The Islamic Center of San Antonio is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the child’s discovery.
If you have any information regarding this abduction, call the San Antonio Police Department at 210-207-7660.
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