Authorities in the nation's fourth-largest city are searching for a missing 5-year-old girl last seen Friday with her stepfather, who claimed he was in and out of consciousness for nearly 24 hours after being beaten by three men who then abducted the child.
The Houston Police Department said an Amber Alert was issued Sunday for Maleah Davis, who had brain surgery in the past two months and requires medical care.
The girl's stepfather, Darion Vence, and his 2-year-old son were on the way to pick up Maleah's mother at Bush Intercontinental Airport around 9 p.m. when he was initially forced to pull over, according to HPD Detective Mark Holbrook.
"He hears a popping noise like he has a flat tire," Holbrook told reporters.
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Vence then told police that three Hispanic men then got out of a 2010 blue Chevrolet crew cab pickup truck and approached him while he was pulled over on U.S. 59.
Authorities in Houston are searching for Maleah Davis, 5, who may have been abducted.
"One of them makes a comment saying that Maleah looks very nice, looks very sweet," Holbrook said.
Vence then said he was hit on the head by one of the men and lost consciousness as the men took Maleah and drove off. The stepfather said he didn't really know where he was until 6 p.m. on Saturday when he woke up along the side of another highway with his son with him, according to ABC13.
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The 2011 Nissan Altima that Vence was driving, a 2011 Nissan Altima, was also apparently stolen by the alleged abductors. The vehicle was last seen driving through an intersection in Sugar Land, Texas around 3 p.m. on Saturday, ABC13 reported.
Houston Police
1/2: Photos displayed at the media briefing: first is victim's stolen car, a silver 2011 Nissan Altima with TX paper tags 3092G9, seen on a traffic camera near Hwy 59 & State Hwy 6 in Sugar Land about 3 pm Saturday (May 4). Second is photo likeness of suspects' blue truck.
After coming to and wandering along a highway, police said Vence then went to the hospital Saturday night and reported Maleah as missing as he sought treatment for his injuries.
The Houston Police Department released a photo of Vence's father on Twitter that showed an injury to his forehead.
View image on Twitter