Lowell police are searching for a missing seven-year-old girl, authorities said Sunday.
Anna is black, weighs 70 pounds and is about 4’7″ tall according to Lowell police. She was last seen wearing black shorts, a white waistcoat and a purple tie on East Merrimack Street between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. She may have been riding a bicycle, according to the police.
Anna is autistic and does not speak.
Neighbors, teachers and other community members took to the streets, blowing bubbles and desperately calling out for Anna before the sun went down.
“She is one of four children and every child is special,” said neighbor Deborah Agrella. “We are all devastated. We see her quite a skedaddler and she doesn’t understand… her mother will turn her back on her and she’s like a roadrunner.
As the light began to fade, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan issued an urgent appeal to the residents of Belvidere to search for Anna in their homes and backyards.
“We’re asking people to come out and do a real search of their gambling den backyards under any piles of wood in any shed they might have,” Ryan said. “Any place a 4’7″ 70 pound little girl could hide.”
Police scoured the area with bicycles, four-wheelers, K9 units and a drone in hopes of finding Anna before dark. Dive teams searched the Merrimack River, which runs through the neighborhood.
“‘What if this was our child?’ That’s how we feel,” said neighbor Christina Cervantes. “We all have to go out and look for her like she’s our baby.”
Friends of the family told Boston 25 News that they had just seen Anna with her family earlier today at church and still held out hope for a positive outcome.
“We ask everyone for prayers. It’s heartbreaking and we just hope, we pray that we’ve seen God work miracles, we’re confident this will end well,” Beatrice Njuguna said.
Anyone with information regarding Anna’s disappearance is asked to call 911 or Lowell Police at 978-937-3200.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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