Fort Worth child reported missing, found dead in homicide in neighborhood, police say
A 4-year-old girl who had been reported missing was found murdered Monday afternoon, according to Fort Worth police.
KXAS-TV reported the child was stabbed to death.
“It is believed to be an isolated incident,” Fort Worth police spokesman Officer Buddy Calzada told the Star-Telegram.
Fort Worth police responded to a missing person report shortly after 11:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of Hurley Ave., in the Near Southside neighborhood, where the child was reported missing. The location is a duplex.
According to a call log, Fort Worth firefighters were dispatched to a stabbing at the same location shortly after police were called.
Police have not confirmed whether a suspect is in custody but said they are searching the child’s home with a warrant. Police haven’t said how many people live in the home but said they are talking to everyone who may have been on the property.
“It is very hard,” Calzada told reporters at the murder scene. “I talked to one of the first officers on the scene here.”
“We have to make sure our officers are OK,” he said. “The reality of it is this is a very sad case. We have a child who was murdered.”
More than 20 police units were on the scene of the homicide.
Detectives with the Crimes Against Children Unit also were at the scene and are taking the lead in the investigation.
The case also is being investigated by officials with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
“There is previous history (with the family.) It’s from about a year ago,“ said Tiffani Butler, a spokeswoman with DFPS, in a Monday email to the Star-Telegram. Butler did not provide any details of Family and Protective Services’ previous involvement with the family.
Butler said the girl has a 1-year-old brother.
“We don’t have legal custody, but we’re making sure he’s OK,“ Butler said.
The public is asked to share any information they have with police, including any security camera video.
Angela Allen lives a few doors down from the house. She said she didn’t know the family personally, but would often see the mother with two young children walking on the street. She saw the youngest child taken away in an ambulance Monday.
She said the street and neighborhood are tight knit and do socially distanced happy hours on their porches.
“It’s very tragic,” Allen said. “You don’t ever want to see something like that happen, especially to a child that young.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Fort Worth child reported missing, found dead in homicide in neighborhood, police say."
CORRECTION: Police say the child was a girl. A previous report said the child was a boy.
