San Antonio's Northwest Side saw a flurry of police activity as authorities, following a new lead in the search for Lina Sardar Khil, combed a wooded area roughly half a mile from the last known location of the 3-year-old Afghan refugee who vanished in late 2021. According to Express News, officers, a crime scene unit, and a K-9 unit were dispatched after a tip came in earlier today, sparking the search near the Helix Apartments off Bluemel Road.
Despite numerous tips over the years prompting similar operations, the San Antonio Police Department has repeatedly drawn on these pieces of information leading them stringing together potential leads that yet need to yield fruit, in an ongoing effort to resolve the case of the young girl last seen on CCTV footage at a nearby playground. Officer Ricardo Guzman highlighted the case's impact and the continued public concern, "This is not the first time we have been out here doing these kind of searches," Officer Guzman told KENS 5.
The last confirmed sighting of Lina dates back to December 20, 2021, when surveillance video captured her playing in what was then called the Villas del Cabo apartments. As her case remains a high priority for the San Antonio Police Department, any new information is crucial. The family, in an effort to keep Lina's memory in the public's mind, released a sketch on her 5th birthday to represent her current likeness, hoping to generate more leads.
San Antonio Police have urged anyone with information on Lina Khil's disappearance to contact SAPD's Missing Persons Unit at (210) 207-7660; Crime Stoppers and the Islamic Center of San Antonio are offering a reward for information that could help find her.
