- The 11-year-old girl went missing on Friday, January 26 in Wilmauma, Florida
- The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sent Deputy Sarah Ernstes and K9 Mary Lu to search for the ‘endangered’ girl just before 8 p.m.
- The K9 followed the girl to a public restroom in a park before she was rescued
This is the moment a police K9 came to the aid of an 11-year-old girl who went missing in Florida and was found locked in a park bathroom.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for assistance in a missing persons case on Friday, January 26 at 7:57 p.m.
The K9 named Mary Lu and Deputy Sarah Ernstes showed up on the 16000 block of Carlton Lake Drive to assist in the search for a “missing and endangered” girl.
Bodycam footage showed Mary Lu managing to lead the deputy to a public restroom in an area park.
The K9 followed the girl’s scent and sniffed past the bathroom doors, indicating she was inside.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Sarah Ernstes (pictured) and K9 Mary Lu responded to a call for assistance in a missing persons case on Friday, January 26
The pair showed up in the 16000 block of Carlton Lake Drive just before 8 p.m. to assist in the search for a “missing and endangered” girl.
Bodycam footage captured the powerful moment Mary Lu managed to lead the deputy to a public restroom in a nearby park, where she sniffed past the bathroom doors, indicating the girl was inside.
“She has a happy tail here in these bathrooms, which she only does when she’s close to someone,” the deputy says on the bodycam footage.
Ernstes and a fellow male deputy assured the little girl it was safe to come out and she eventually emerged from the locked public bathroom.
“It’s just me, a female deputy, my dog and another deputy. You’re not in trouble; we just need to talk to you,” Ernstes said to the girl who was still locked in the park’s toilet.
Emergency services successfully persuaded the girl to unlock the door and she was found safe without injury.
After being lured to safety by the officers, Ernstes asked the girl, “Do you like dogs?” before encouraging her to let Mary Lu give her a kiss as her ‘reward’.
“I promise she won’t hurt you,” Ernstes told the 11-year-old as she approached the hero dog.
In a heartwarming moment, Mary Lu hugged the rescued girl and gave her a reassuring lick.
“Our HCSO K9 Unit team has once again proven its invaluable role in our community,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.
“She (Mary Lu) has a happy tail here in these bathrooms, which she only does when she’s close to someone,” the deputy says in the bodycam footage
Ernstes and a fellow male deputy assured the little girl that it was safe to come out and she eventually emerged from the locked public bathroom unharmed and safe.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “Our team HCSO K9 Unit has once again proven its invaluable role in our community,” citing the success of Mary Lu and Deputy Ernstes
‘With their exceptional skills, they successfully located and brought home a missing 11-year-old girl, safely reuniting her with her family. I couldn’t be more proud of our team’s dedication to service and determination to protect and serve.”
It was reported that after first tracking Mary Lu, officers were led to a neighbor’s home — where they learned residents had driven her to an apartment building in Wimauma, the sheriff’s office reported.
As of now, it is unclear whether the 11-year-old voluntarily left her home or why the neighbors gave her a ride to the nearby complex.
According to the latest reports, no one has been charged in connection with the girl’s disappearance.
