Lina Sardar Khil was last seen at the playground at her apartment complex on Monday night. She was wearing a black jacket, red dress and black shoes.
The San Antonio Police Department is asking the public for help in finding 3-year-old Lina Sardar Khil, who authorities believe may be in “grave or immediate danger,” according to published news reports.
Lina was last seen on Monday between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at a playground with her mother and other children at the Villas Del Cabo apartment complex in the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road. When Lina’s mother went inside to quickly get something, Lina was gone, San Antonio Police said, KSAT News previously reported.
It was unclear exactly how long Lina’s mother was away, but San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said in a news conference Tuesday morning that she returned a “short time later,” the news outlet reported.
On Monday at 7:15 p.m., the family reported the child missing, and an Amber Alert was issued.
According to a department spokesperson, there is no indication that Lina is with a family member, ABC News reported.
Since Lina’s mysterious disappearance, the police have been searching on foot and by air, and have been using K9 assistance. Part of their effort has been going door to door, to each of the 300 apartment units in the complex.
The police chief said that “due to the suspicious nature of the disappearance,” officers are searching for video, checking cars and dumpsters, and recording license plates.
“We have every available asset in the police department working on the case right now,” McManus said.
He added: “We are sparing no assets or resources.”
Lina is 4 feet tall and weighs 55 pounds. She has brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair that was in a ponytail, according to a handout.
She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a red dress, and black shoes.
Margaret Costantino, of the Center for Refugee Services, told Inside Edition Digital that as soon as her non-profit became aware of the situation on Tuesday she referred an interpreter to them, due to the language barrier the police may be encountering.
“One of our interpreters made himself available to the police,” Costantino said. “Their language is Pashto, not Arabic that some other publications originally reported.”
Costantino said their organization has helped over 1,300 Afghans since Oct. 1st. She said she met the family and said they had come from Afghanistan in 2019 on an SVI, a special immigration visa.
“This is not an Afghan tragedy. This is a tragedy for the whole community,” Costantino said. “Everyone is really anxious wanting to know how they can help and praying for a good outcome.”
Authorities are asking anyone who has information on the case to call SAPD Missing Person’s Unit at 210-207-7660.
