Police: Missing Benbrook Girl Found Safe; Uncle Dead
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BENBROOK (CBSDFW.COM) - The desperate search for a 9-year-old North Texas girl has ended inside a Bossier City, Louisiana motel room.
Law enforcement officers with the FBI Taskforce attempted to take her uncle, Jessie Nicholas Williams, 24, into custody for abducting the girl. They staked out the room and at some point they made entry and a struggle ensued between one of the officer's and the suspect.
One officer was shot and wounded and the suspect was killed.
"We never want to see things end in violence. Our job is to protect lives and property, so anytime that there's violence it didn't end well for us," said Benbrook police Officer Sandy Eubanks.
On Monday, police in Benbrook issued an Amber Alert for Caitlyn Williams and her uncle.
Caitlyn left home on her bicycle Friday, headed for a weekend sleepover at a friend's house. Police say she never showed up. She was supposed to return home Sunday, when she didn't her parents reportedly thought it was because of the bad weather. Caitlyn was reported missing on Monday.
Apparently Caitlyn was invited to the party, but was not close enough with the group to be invited to the slumber party. However, she told her mother she would be at the slumber party all weekend. Police are trying to figure out the reason she said that, but neither parents or the family she was going to visit had any reason to be suspicious and none are suspects.
Williams was spotted with Caitlyn twice on Saturday. Once at the Capello Salon in Fort Worth and then at a motel on Alta Mesa Boulevard and Interstate-35W.
The FBI quickly joined the search for Caitlyn and officials said the girl's appearance may have been altered. Benbrook police Officer Sandy Eubanks said, "She was described as having long, wavy, brown hair. Her hair may have been cut short, to alter her appearance." The owner of the hair salon wouldn't give any details as to what happened when the 9-year-old was there and referred inquiries to police.
Caitlyn's great-grandmother, Linda Bullard, said the little girl has always been very trustworthy. "She's very adventurous. She rides her bike around the neighborhood with her friends. She normally goes right where she says she's going."
A kidnapping warrant was issued for Williams, an Arlington resident. Bullard pleaded for help from the public and for cooperation from Williams. "Please bring her home to us. If anybody knows or see her, anything, please let us know. Jessie please you know Caitlyn needs to be at home. She needs to be at school. She needs to be with her friends and her mom and her dad and me. Please bring her home."
Police located a rental car believed to have been used by Williams and had it towed to the police station. His lack of contact with the family was the most series concern. "We believe she maybe in danger because her family has not been able to contact the uncle," Officer Eubanks explained. "We don't know if he's turned his cell phone off or if he's just not answering, but the concern is that because other family members can't contact him obviously that elevates the level of concern we have for the child."
On Tuesday, members of the Benbrook Elementary School PTA were among those searching for Caitlyn, her bike, and any clues to her whereabouts. Autumn Westbury is a PTA member. "If we can recover the bike I don't know if that would lead to anything or not," she said. "They have a really good lead on the uncle, but if we can find the bike that would at least give a little bit of answers."
Caitlyn Elizabeth Williams is a white, 9-year-old female. She stands 4'4" tall, weighs 95 pounds and when last seen by family had brown hair. The little girl has brown eyes and when she left home on Friday was wearing a yellow t-shirt, with 'Benbrook Field Day' written on it, blue jeans and pink and black tennis shoes. Caitlyn was riding a pink, purple and white bicycle with a pink seat and pink grips.
The officer injured during Caitlyn's recovery is expected to recover.
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