Developmentally Disabled Teen Found In Superior
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - The 14-year-old girl with developmental disabilities who was reported missing Sunday night was found Monday afternoon in a hair salon in Superior.
At 6:20 p.m. Sunday, Alice Carver and her dog were dropped off at the Westminster Hills dog park at Simms Street and West 100th Avenue by her mother.
She was told to be home before dark, but never arrived. Police and crews searched for Alice for several hours on Monday surrounding the park before she was located. Police said someone noticed that Alice needed help and called police.
Alice told police on Monday afternoon that her dog became startled near dusk on Sunday and got off his leash. She started looking for her dog and twisted her ankle. Then in the dark she became disoriented and didn't know where she was. That's when she told police she laid down in some grass and fell asleep.
On Monday morning, she tried to find her way home and continued walking towards what she thought was her home. Alice walked 10 miles through rugged terrain and into the shopping complex where she was recognized.
When she was reported missing, Alice was described as low functioning which prompted the alert from Westminster police.
"Alice is a little bit low functioning for her age. She left last night, it's obviously since been dark. We just don't know what happened to her, which way she went out here. She could be injured, hurt, lost," said Westminster Police spokeswoman Cheri Spotke during the search.
Police were concerned because they believed she didn't have any food or water for about 20 hours and had not taken her medication.
It was an extensive search for Alice. Bloodhounds were brought in to help track her scent along with a helicopter from Douglas County to search from the air.
The Westminster and Thornton Fire Departments checked several large bodies of water in the area. Standley park rangers and Westminster police officers checked the trail systems.
School security officers from the Jeffco School District conducted a canvas of the neighborhood.
Alice was with her dog Chip who is brown and about 50 lbs. The dog has not been located.
A CodeRed notification was sent to about 17,500 residents asking them to be on the lookout for Alice.