Audrii Cunningham: Texas cops offer $7K reward for information on missing 11-year-old girl
LIVINGSTON, TEXAS: February 19 marked the fourth day of the search for Texas girl Audrii Cunninghman, who earlier went missing from the Livingston area.
A $7,000 reward has been offered by the Polk County Sheriff's Office for information on the missing 11-year-old girl that would lead to the potential arrest of the perpetrators.
Texas EquuSearch assists search for Audrii Cunningham
According to KHOU, while the southern areas of Lake Livingstone have been searched by the police since February 16, a non-profit search organization, Texas EquuSearch, has concentrated its search for the 11-year-old on Saturday, February 17, near I-59 and the Trinity River in Livingston.
As per the Polk County Sheriff's Department, the search was to persist on Monday and the Trinity River boat ramp located off I-59 will be temporarily closed during this time.
Audrii was last seen in the 100 block of Lakeside Drive on February 15 at around 7 am, as CrimeOnline reported.
"School officials reported to the Sheriff’s Office that the school bus did not pick Audrii up, nor did she report to school,” said the police, although she was scheduled to board the bus in her neighborhood that morning.
Police identifies 'person of interest'
Concerning Audrii Cunningham's disappearance, Don Steven McDougal, 42, who has babysat the girl previously, was designated as a "person of interest" by the Texas Department of Public Safety on Saturday, February 17.
In a statement from Polk County officials, McDougal has acknowledged leaving the house with Audrii on the day she vanished, and he is assisting investigators to some extent.
Police have, however, emphasized that they are looking into every possibility and are not ruling out other suspects.
Don McDougal arrested for aggravated assault
On an unrelated charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, McDougal was taken into custody on Friday night, February 16. Although he has been booked into the Polk County Jail, he has not been publicly identified as a suspect.
According to reports, authorities have located additional people of interest, but they have not revealed their identities, CrimeOnline stated.
'Vehicle of interest' found
Authorities declared a dark blue Chevrolet Suburban to be a "vehicle of interest" earlier on Saturday. Although they "have control" of the SUV, the police are still looking for clues.
UPDATE: Investigators have identified 42-year-old Don Steven McDougal (pictured) of Livingston as one of the persons of interest in the disappearance of Audrii Cunningham.
— TxDPS - Southeast Texas Region (@TxDPSSoutheast) February 17, 2024
Report tips to the Polk Co Sheriff’s Office, Polk Co Crime Stoppers, or our iWatchTexas app. https://t.co/OTPcRIRdGv pic.twitter.com/d3AkWmAfg4
Audrii is a white girl who weighs about 75 pounds and is 4-foot-1 in height. Her hair is blonde and her eyes are blue. She was last seen with black high-top shoes, black pants, and a black hoodie with white lettering.
The public is requested to call the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 936-327-6810 to report information regarding Audrii or her whereabouts.
