This is a developing story. More details will be added when they are available and confirmed.
UPDATE (7:10 p.m.): Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne has announced that an 11 year old girl named Amaysia was found safe and returned to her mother after an hours-long search. Osborne did not release many details regarding the circumstances of Amaysia’s disappearance, except for that foul play was not suspected.
Osborne went on to address concerns from the public about why an Amber Alert wasn’t issued about Amaysia’s situation. Osborne said there are “strict protocols for Amber Alerts, none of which were met in this circumstance.” Amber Alerts are normally published for when a child is suspected to have been abducted.
Clearly perturbed by the thought law enforcement was downplaying the incident, he admonished certain members of the community for their reactions.
“It’s disheartening to read Facebook comments from people with no knowledge of Amber Alert,” he wrote. “We issue such alerts in the hopes that people will help. For that reason, making statements that less is being done, or that an Amber Alert was not issued because of skin color is both discouraging and disgusting. None of these comments are helpful to us while we’re in the middle of an investigation, nor do they do a thing for the parents of the missing child. Our community needs to be better, and if you can’t help us in such a situation please stay away and cease from making such ugly comments.”
UPDATE (5 p.m.): More details have been released about the missing girl from Northeast Elementary from Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne.
Osborne said that in addition to the description provided below, the missing 11-year-old girl, whose first name is Amaysia, weighs about 100 lbs. and was wearing light pink sneakers and a clear backpack. She did not board the school bus at dismissal from Northeast Elementary and hasn’t been reported seen since about 2:30 p.m.
Amaysia lives on Graham Road.
“At this time, we have no information to suggest that foul play is afoot, however, we are taking all precautions,” Osborne said. “Anyone who believes they have seen Amaysia are asked to call 911.”
Original Story:
ITHACA, N.Y.—Police have issued a Tompkins SIREN alert regarding a young girl who apparently went missing from Northeast Elementary School Thursday afternoon.
The girl is described as a Black 11-year-old girl, wearing a purple coat and light purple leggings. She has black hair in braids. Police said to call 911 if the girl is located. A name was not provided, and dispatchers said one would not be made available immediately, and that they do not know specifically where the child was going if they left school.
Dispatchers told The Ithaca Voice that the girl was last seen around 2:30 p.m. at Northeast Elementary School. The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation, as well as other area police agencies. It is unknown if an Amber Alert will be deployed.