Police dogs, helicopter search for missing girl, 11, in Sydney’s south
A massive search involving a NSW Police helicopter and sniffer dogs is under way for an 11-year-old girl who disappeared from her family home in Sydney’s south overnight.
Jacinta Laverance was last seen about 11pm on Sunday in bed at her home on Amaroo Street in Sylvania Heights, wearing purple and aqua pyjamas.
NSW Sutherland Police Area Command Chief Inspector Chris Hill told 2GB's Ray Hadley that Jacinta's parents woke up about 6.20am on Monday to find she was not there.
"She’s an avid cross-country runner [and] they saw that her running shoes had been missing, so they went for a drive down to the local tracks and areas where she normally trains to see if they could find her - to no avail," he said.
Her family then reported her missing, about 7.30am, as her disappearance is out of character.
Mr Hill said there did not appear to be any other clothing missing, so at the moment police were searching for her under the assumption she was still wearing her pyjamas and her missing running shoes.
PolAir and the dog unit joined officers from the Sutherland Police Area Command in their search for Jacinta on Monday morning, and Mr Hill also appealed for help from the public.
A police spokeswoman said Jacinta did not have a history of running away, and Mr Hill said there was no evidence so far to indicate she had been snatched from home.
"At this stage we can’t identify any reasons why she left home," Mr Hill said, adding that Jacinta had not shown up for school either.
"Obviously investigations are in their infancy."
Jacinta is described as Caucasian, 172 centimetres tall with a slim build and medium-length blonde hair.
Police urge anyone with information about Jacinta’s disappearance to contact Crime Stoppers.
More to come