After 12 hours of searching Friday morning, police finally found two Clayton County girls who went missing just before midnight.
Adormi Harris, 11, and Imani Turner, 3, were put to bed by 11 p.m. Thursday, but they were gone an hour later.
They slept in a doghouse behind a house on the corner of Flint River Road and Dorsey Road, just down the street from their home, Clayton County police said.
Police believe the two girls wandered off on their own.
Harris’ mother notified police that the girls were missing, spawning the overnight search.
She later discovered her purse, two cellphones, car keys and a tablet had been taken, police Sgt. Ashanti Marbury said. She also noticed that a stick that was used to secure the door had been removed and placed to the side.
Adormi suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and insomnia, police said.
“Apparently, the 11-year-old was recently involved in some house fire at a previous location,” Clayton County police Deputy Chief Joseph Woodall said. “So that may cause some of her restlessness and PTSD.”
Because it was so dark, authorities briefly suspended search efforts just after 6 a.m. Officials resumed the search shortly after daybreak.
By 11:57 a.m., the two girls were spotted by two Clayton County police officers leaning against a tree outside a home.
“They look fine. They're clothed. They appear to be cold but otherwise walking, talking,” Woodall told Channel 2 Action News.
They were taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston for precautionary screenings, police said. Clayton County fire and emergency crews also checked out the girls’ health.
The Division of Family and Children Services are assisting with the investigation.
The girls are expected to return to their parents’ custody once they’ve been released from the hospital, police said.
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