Maleah is missing after apparently being abducted at the weekend. Photo / Houston Police
A 4-year-old Texas girl whose stepfather reported she was abducted over the weekend had been removed from the family home months earlier because of allegations of abuse but was later returned, a child protection agency said today.
The history of alleged abuse in Maleah Davis' home emerged as police raise questions about her stepfather's account of the girl's abduction, and as volunteers and law enforcement officials continue to search for her following an amber alert issued Sunday US time.
Stepfather Darion Vence reported Maleah missing Saturday night while he was hospitalised in Sugar Land, a suburb about 35km southwest of Houston.
He told investigators she was abducted more than 24-hours earlier by men in a pickup truck who beat him but then let him and his 2-year-old son go free, according to Houston police.
But during his initial interview with Sugar Land police, Vence's "story changed several times," according to a department spokesman.
"His story just didn't add up," Sugar Land police spokesman Doug Adolph told The Associated Press.
Months before Vence reported her missing, Maleah was removed from the home where Vence also lived, by state workers concerned about allegations of abuse, Child Protective Services spokeswoman Tiffani Butler said.
Agency investigators began looking into the Houston household after Maleah's head was injured, eventually leading to her having multiple brain surgeries, Butler said. She declined to elaborate on the injury.
In August, the girl and her 5- and 1-year-old brothers were removed from the home and placed in the care of relatives, Butler said.
The children were returned home in February but officially remained in state custody and were checked on by a caseworker each month, she said.
Sugar Land police largely handed the case off to Houston police after Vence's initial interview, Adolph said.
Authorities said they are concerned for Maleah's safety - not only because she may be in the hands of kidnappers, but because she has already endured significant health obstacles in her young life, including multiple brain surgeries, the most recent of which she underwent about a month ago.
2/2: Photo of assault victim, Mr. Darion Vence, who is Maleah's stepfather, stated he was unconscious for almost 24 hrs. Detectives ask anyone who saw Darion or Maleah after 9 pm Friday (May 3) to 6 pm on Sat to contact HPD Homicide 713-308-3600 or @CrimeStopHOU at 713-222-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/nuZHA1EQPY
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 5, 2019
She had been ill in the days leading up to her disappearance, Sergeant Mark Holbrook said at a news conference Sunday.
Holbrook acknowledged to reporters that Vence's version of events includes significant gaps and lack of detail, which is why the police department is calling on the public for help to inform their timeline.
"We'd love for the public to help us so we can fill in the blanks in this story," Holbrook said. "I realise there's a lot of blanks in that story."
According to Vence, he was driving to George Bush Intercontinental Airport around 9pm Friday to pick up the children's mother, who was travelling home from Massachusetts. Vence said he heard a popping noise, and pulled over to make sure he didn't have a flat tyre.
A blue pickup truck then pulled up behind them, Vence told authorities, and two men got out of the truck. One made comments about Maleah, Vence said, including that she looked nice and sweet. The other hit him in the head, Vence told authorities, knocking him unconscious.
At some point, Vence said he awoke in the back of the truck with both children; there were three other men in the vehicle. Vence then says he lost consciousness again. When he woke up the second time, he said it was about 6pm Saturday and he and the 2-year-old boy were on Highway 2. Maleah was not with them.
Vence told authorities he tried to flag down help on the highway, but nobody would stop. He and the boy then walked to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, Vence said. They arrived around 10 or 11pm, Holbrook said during the news conference. They reported Maleah missing at the hospital.
Maleah's mother, whom authorities have not identified, did not report Vence or the children missing, Holbrook said during the news conference. She arranged for other family members to pick her up from the airport, authorities said.
Holbrook told reporters that Vence is at home with family. He does not have a criminal record, Holbrook said. Maleah's biological father, who also lives in the Houston area, has been contacted by authorities and is being cooperative, Holbrook said.
At the news conference, authorities shared a photo of the type of truck Vence described: a 2010 blue Chevrolet crew cab pickup truck. They also shared a photo of the car Vence was driving when the alleged abduction occurred, a silver 2011 Nissan Altima with Texas paper tags 330-92G9. The Nissan belongs to Maleah's mother, authorities said. She had just purchased it at a dealership.
Traffic cameras captured a photo of the Nissan driving through an intersection Saturday afternoon. It has not been seen since.
Authorities have not found any surveillance footage or witness accounts that corroborate Vence's version of events.
"Darion doesn't remember a 24-hour period of his life," Holbrook said. "If somebody saw him, if maybe he was walking around in a daze, I'd love to know anything about that."
When reporters at the news conference expressed scepticism about the veracity of Vence's memories, Holbrook said that authorities were relying on the public to aid the investigation.
"We're hoping, the purpose of the press conference is to figure out what really is true, what really happened," Holbrook said. "We don't know. I just don't know. And I don't want to speculate."
A small search party handed out 100 missing person posters in a park in Sugar Land, near where Maleah allegedly disappeared, reported CNN affiliate KPRC. The group of five women, friends of Maleah's mother, resumed their efforts yesterday and were joined by Texas EquuSearch.
"She's a spunky little thing, you know, and she's beautiful," Amber Fannin, a family friend helping with the search, told KPRC. "She has a beautiful energy and we just want to find her at this point."
Authorities issued an Amber alert that included a description of the outfit Maleah was wearing when she disappeared: a pink bow in her hair, a light blue zip jacket, blue jeans and sneakers that are gray, white and pink.
A Houston police spokesman declined to comment today on Adolph's characterisation of Vence's story and referred a reporter to a tweet saying it does not identify suspects or persons of interest unless charges are filed.
A phone message left at a number listed for Vence was not returned today.
-AP, Washington Post
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