Police search for missing teen, Morgan Hernandez, 14, last seen by family at Discovery Green in Houston/Found Safe

By Anita Hassan, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 07:46 p.m., Tuesday, January 10, 2012
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It was within a matter of minutes that 14-year-old Morgan Hernandez disappeared. Her grandmother looked over her shoulder at Discovery Green on New Year's Eve to see the teen enjoying the band.

When she turned around again just a few minutes later, Morgan was gone.

It's been more than a week since the teen went missing from the downtown Houston park. Her parents, Ruben and Nile Hernandez, have filed a missing person's report with Houston Police on Jan. 1, tirelessly posted fliers around town and created a Facebook page asking anyone who has information about Morgan to contact them.

"Now all I can think of to do is what we've been doing, which is a lot of praying," Ruben Hernandez said.

Police said they have a few leads from phone numbers from a cell that was used by Morgan, a seventh-grader at Gentry Junior High School in Baytown, around the time she disappeared.

"As of right now, there are no signs of foul play," said HPD Officer Mario Robau. While he could not give details of the investigation, he said it is still being treated as a missing person's case. He said police have information that Morgan was last spotted in west Houston on Westheimer.

Didn't answer phone

Family members have no idea where the teen could be.

Her grandmother, Kelly Doucette, said she had taken her two grandsons to the ice skating rink about 30 feet away from where Morgan was standing before the teen disappeared around 9 p.m.

Doucette told police she tried to contact Morgan on a cell phone she'd given her in case she got separated from the group, but could not reach her. When she was driving around looking for her granddaughter, Doucette spotted her around 1 a.m. at a parking lot on Crawford near the park with at least one man she'd never seen before.

The teen's parents said Morgan left her purse with the little money she had in her grandmother's car. The parents do not believe the girl left the park willingly. Nile Hernandez described Morgan as a good kid, who enjoys staying at home, reading, watching television and fishing with her family.

Tank top and jeans

Morgan is described as about 5 feet 6 inches tall, 130 pounds with dark hair and brown eyes. She has a scar under her chin and another wide scar between her elbow and forearm. She was last seen wearing an orange tank top, brown boots, blue jeans and glasses. She was also wearing a silver Hello Kitty necklace.

"We love her and we miss her," Ruben Hernandez said. "We just want her back as quick as possible."

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Missing Person's unit at 713-731-5223.

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The father was on JVM in a complete and total state of despair.

BAYTOWN -
A Baytown family hasn't seen their 14-year-old daughter since New Year's Eve, but police said she has been spotted recently.

Morgan Hernandez went to Discovery Green in Downtown Houston with her grandmother and two younger brothers on Dec 31.

Morgan stood and watched a concert near the stage while the others went to buy tickets for the ice skating rink. They were only a few feet away.

"Then all of a sudden, she said I turned around to pay for the tickets and when I turned back around she was gone," said Hernandez, whose mother was with Morgan that night.

The grandmother frantically searched the area, and she eventually called the police when she thought she spotted the teen.

"She thought she saw her and says there was a guy putting her in a silver car," said Hernandez. "I don't know where she's at. I don't even know if she's in Houston anymore."

The Houston Police Department said it is treating this is as a missing person's case and told KPRC Local 2 it wants nothing more than to locate her. Investigators said she was spotted at a business in Houston in the past few days, but they declined to elaborate.

Laura Recovery Center is also involved in the search for the teen.

On New Year's Eve, Hernandez was wearing an orange tank top, blue jeans and brown boots. She had on Hello Kitty jewelry and has a scar under her chin. Her parents said Morgan left her purse in the car that night, so she doesn't have any money on her. She did have her cellphone, but they say the cellphone provider told them it hasn't been used since that night.

Anyone with information regarding Morgan's whereabouts is asked to call the Houston Police Department at 713-731-5223 or Laura Recovery Center 281-482-5723.

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Morgan Hernandez 14 - Endangered Missing - Houston, Texas
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Morgan Hernandez
Endangered Missing

AGE: 14
SEX: Female
RACE: White
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown (May wear glasses)
HEIGHT: 5’06”
WEIGHT: 120 – 130 lbs
SCAR: Under chin
PIERCED ears
WEARING: Orange tank top, blue jeans, brown boots
JEWELRY: ‘Hello Kitty” silver necklace with crystals

Morgan was last seen at Discovery Green. She went with family who stepped a few feet away from her to get tickets for roller skating. When they turned around she was gone.
They may have seen her being put into a silver vehicle by an unidentified adult male.

Morgan did not have her purse or any money. She did have her cell phone with her that has gone unused. It continues to ‘ping’ in the Discovery Green area.

MISSING SINCE: December 31, 2011
MISSING FROM: Houston, Texas

CONTACT:
Houston Police Department, Missing Persons Unit 713-731-5223
Laura Recovery Center 281-482-5723

FLYER / POSTER
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Filed under: Houston child discovery green endangered endangered missing flyer houston police department juvenile laura recovery center missing morgan hernandez poster teen texas

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She thought she saw her and says there was a guy putting her in a silver car,"

The Houston Police Department said it is treating this is as a missing person's case

Sounds like a kidnapping to me!

I agree. I hope I can get the video on this. I went into the FB and posted our link...anything we can do.

So sad and yes it does sound like a kidnapping.

A 14-year-old girl reported missing during a New Year's Eve family outing at Discovery Green has been found safe at the Galleria, officials said.

Morgan Hernandez was found skating at the Galleria on Sunday, according to the Houston Police Department. She has been returned to her family. Officials did not release details about where she had been, but police said she left willingly when she disappeared.

Hernandez and her family members had been on a holiday outing at Discovery Green when she went missing.

Her grandmother looked over her shoulder to see Hernandez, a seventh-grader at Gentry Junior High School in Baytown, enjoying the band. When she turned around again just a few minutes later, the teen was gone.

Her grandmother, Kelly Doucette, told police she tried to contact the teen on a cellphone, but could not reach her. When she was driving around looking for her granddaughter, Doucette spotted her around 1 a.m. at a parking lot on Crawford near the park with at least one man she had never seen before.

The girl's parents, Ruben and Nile Hernandez, posted fliers around town and created a Facebook page asking anyone who had information about their daughter to contact them.
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:cheering: Thanks raine

Great news!!