TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A missing 11-year-old girl was safely reunited with her family on Friday night, thanks to the help of a Hillsborough County Sheriff K-9, who found the girl locked inside a bathroom at a nearby park.
According to the sheriff’s office, Deputy Sarah Ernstes and K-9 Mary Lu were dispatched around 7:57 p.m. to the 16000 block of Carlton Lake Drive to help search for the missing and endangered girl.
HCSO said Ernstes and Mary Lu “quickly jumped into action,” tracking the 11-year-old to a neighbor’s house, where they learned the residents had given her a ride to an apartment complex in Wimauma.
As deputies arrived at the location, Mary Lu led authorities to a locked bathroom door at a park in the area, where deputies found the missing 11-year-old.
Body camera footage of the night shows the K-9 lead deputies to the bathroom.
“She does have happy tail over here at these bathrooms, which she only does when she’s close to somebody,” Deputy Enstes can be heard saying.
HCSO posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that deputies were able to talk the girl into unlocking the door, where she was found safe and without injury.
“Our teamHCSO K9 Unit has once again proven its invaluable role in our community,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “With their exceptional skills, they successfully located and brought home a missing 11-year-old girl, reuniting her safely with her family. I couldn’t be prouder of our team’s commitment to service and determination to protect and serve.”
