Missing Na'Ziyah Harris: Detroit police 'very concerned' for safety of 13-year-old girl
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit police and family members say they are worried about the safety of a missing 13-year-old girl who was last seen getting off her school bus over a month ago.
Na'Ziyah Harris got off the bus at Cornwall and 3 Mile on Jan. 9, but never went home. She was reported missing the next day.
NaZiyah Harris
"I’m asking anyone that knows anything about my granddaughter, please contact the police department," said Na'Ziyah's grandmother and legal guardian, Annette Harris.
Annette adopted Na'Ziyah and has been raising her for years.
"I don’t want to think the worst about it – about her being abducted," Annette said. "I’m hoping and praying that that is not the case. I'm standing on my faith that God is going to bring my baby home."
NaZiyah Harris on the bus
The Detroit Public Schools Community District Department of Public Safety was originally handling the search, but based on circumstances, the Detroit Police Department took the lead in the investigation.
During a press conference Wednesday, Detroit Police Chief James White said investigators are "very, very concerned" after a meeting about the case.
"We left that meeting with some very serious concerns about Na'Ziyah's safety," White said. "We’re hopeful that we find her well, but we can’t operate on hope."
Detroit Police Deputy Chief Kari Sloan said the department is "aggressively searching" for the teen and are "not ruling anything out at this point."
Police were walking the streets of Detroit, passing out flyers on Wednesday.
"DPD intends to utilize every possible resource that we have to bring her home safely," Sloan said.
Harris was last seen wearing a white, pink, and black jacket with a hood that had brown fur on it, blue jeans, and blue and white Nike gym shoes.
"It’s so crazy. I went to the gas station like yesterday, I ended up seeing the poster on the door. I'm like ‘I know this little kid,’" said Jasmine Lane, who lives in the area where Na'Ziyah was last seen. "The bus always pulls up to the corner of our house."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department's Major Crimes Division at 313-596-2260.