Maleah's mother asks public for help in search for missing 4-year-old
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Maleah’s family continued passing out flyers with Maleah's photos Wednesday near the apartment she shared with her mom and stepdad in Southwest Houston.
Wednesday marks five days since Maleah was last seen, according to police.
Friends and strangers joined the 4-year-old’s mom at the intersection of Bissonnet and Kirkwood Road. They came armed with 700 flyers and spent the day hanging them at places like bus stops and handing them to anyone who would take one in hopes someone will recognize her face and help police bring her home. The flyers include photos of Maleah and directions to call Houston Police if you've seen her.
“We need help," said John Marsden who joined Maleah's mom to distribute flyers. "We need to find this girl now, not tomorrow. It’s been what—4 days, 5 days now—and the weather is bad. After this week it’s going- I mean, we need to find out.”
The intersection near Maleah's apartment is also part of the scene where Texas Equusearch centered its search efforts Tuesday before getting rained out.
“We need more volunteers—please,” said Maleah's mom Brittany Bowens in an exclusive interview with Fox 26 Wednesday.
Bowens is asking anyone reading the news to join her Thursday to help search and spread the word about Maleah.
“We’re gonna be passing out flyers on Beltway 8 and Bissonnet at the McDonald’s," said Bowens. "Please come out and support and help us find Maleah. We’ll be meeting between 10:30 and 11 a.m. Please be there. We need you. Please.”
Houston Police were seen revisiting Maleah’s apartment complex Wednesday where neighbors remain baffled.
“I’m just horrified," said Doreen Lee who lives in Maleah's complex. "Sweet little girl didn’t deserve whatever’s happened to her.”
Police tell Fox 26 Maleah’s stepfather Darion Vence is a person of interest in her disappearance. He has not joined the search efforts. Police had no word on his whereabouts Wednesday.
“To me, this is foul play," said Marsden. "Hopefully we’re wrong. Hopefully he’s telling the truth, but right now, if a child is missing from a household, the parents are the first two suspects in any case. And this is suspicious on his behalf.”
Texas Equusearch called off Wednesday's ground search efforts, citing flooding in the areas they had planned to look. They searched by air instead, riding a helicopter low along the Brazos River, all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to Hwy 59, according to Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller. He told Fox 26 rode the chopper looking for any sign of the missing silver Nissan or Maleah. He said volunteers plan to resume the ground search on Thursday.
Houston Police released new photos Wednesday of the car that missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis was believed to have been riding in when she was allegedly abducted. The photos of the silver Nissan Altima were taken before Maleah went missing. The car hasn’t been seen since. It had paper plates reading, "330-92G9".
Police are asking the public to keep an eye out for the car and call them or Crime-Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.