SANSOM PARK, Texas — Sansom Park police arrested a man Friday soon after parents found their missing child in the man's apartment.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the suspect's identity, but Sansom Park police announced they charged the man with endangering a child.
The child's parents called 911 Friday around 9 p.m., about 15 minutes after they realized they could not locate her. The girl is autistic and non-verbal, public information officer Tyler Downes said.
"Any time we have any young children missing, we try to get as many resources on scene as fast as possible," Downes said. "We know in 15 or 20 minutes, a child can go really far."
Sansom Park Police and officers from Fort Worth, White Settlement, River Oaks, Westworth Village and Castleberry ISD combed the Sansom Bluff apartment complex at 2900 La Junta Street after the 911 call.
Neighbors and the girl's parents searched, too.
"They were going door-to-door, talking to people, saying, 'Have you seen my little girl?'" Downes said. "They ended up finding her in an apartment - an unknown male's apartment."
It's not yet clear whether the parents randomly located the girl through the course of their search, or if someone pointed them to the man's apartment. Police are still investigating whether the girl wandered into the apartment or if she was taken there.
A "disturbance" ensued after the parents located the girl, police said. Officers arrived quickly, calmed the scene, and arrested the suspect.
Citing the ongoing investigation, Downes would not offer details about what happened inside the apartment unit.
The child did not suffer significant injuries. She was missing for about 45 minutes, Downes added.
Though it's not clear how the girl escaped her parents' supervision, Downes said parents should install deadbolts high on a home's doors, out of young children's reach. He also recommended purchasing motion sensors or door alarms.
Parents should ensure their children memorize their address and a guardian's phone number, Downes added.
If a child wanders off, Downes said one parent or other trustworthy person should remain at the home in case the child returns. It is okay for parents to participate in the search for a missing child, though Downes recommended against knocking on strangers' doors without police.
"When a child goes missing, we recommend you don't wait to call 911," Downes said. "You don't have to wait 10, 15 or 20 minutes. There's no timetable. If you lose sight of your child, give us a call. The quicker we can get on scene and we can canvass, the higher possibility we're going to find the missing child."
This is a developing story. WFAA will update this story as additional information becomes available.
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