Imani Stephens found: Authorities locate 11-year-old in southeast Houston, FBI says
Imani Stephens was the subject of a statewide Amber Alert. Her grandmother told ABC13 that she was taken by someone in a pickup.
abc13.com
11-year-old Imani Stephens remains missing after 2 men mistakenly identified as suspects
For a second time Friday, authorities had to backtrack on identifying a suspect they believed was involved in an 11-year-old girl's disappearance.An Amber Alert was issued Friday morning for Imani Stephens out of Missouri City, whom police believe to be in grave or immediate danger.
One clue came from a neighbor who shared surveillance video from their home. It shows a newer, gray truck in the Dry Creek Village neighborhood around 1:45 a.m. Friday.
In the initial bulletin, Texas Department of Public Safety reported Imani was taken by a 28-year-old, but troopers later updated the information to include a different suspect altogether. They explained that the men share the same name, but are two different people.
Then, just before Eyewitness News was going to go on air with an update, Missouri City police told ABC13 that both individuals were ruled out in the case, adding the vehicles described in earlier bulletins were not accurate as well.
An updated Amber Alert bulletin was released without abductor info. The vehicle description was also changed, with just the details of a newer-model, gray pickup truck with Texas license plates.
Police described Imani as a Black girl weighing about 111 pounds and standing at 5 feet, 2 inches. She has black hair, brown eyes, and scars on both wrists. Imani was last seen wearing glasses, a black and gray shirt with black striped red letters, multi-colored sweatpants, and Crocs.
According to the girl's grandmother, the child met the suspect online and snuck out to meet him.
"I just know the person that she's with, she had been chatting with him online for over a year," Kimberly Wright said.
Wright said her granddaughter met whoever took her on Discord, an instant-messaging app. She added that the same person who took her this morning also took her on July 9, but we haven't confirmed that with law enforcement.
According to Wright, Stephens had her electronic devices confiscated as a result, but used someone else's iPad to sneak out of an upstairs window this morning.
Wright wants Stephens to come home, and says she'll get her the help she needs.
"We're not mad," she said. "We just want her to come home."
