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Police in Oklahoma are continuing to search for Athena Brownfield, a 4-year-old girl who was reported missing on Tuesday, after her 5-year-old sister was found walking alone near the town of Cyril by a postal worker.
Officers have arrested 31-year-old Alysia Adams, who had been caring for the two girls along with her husband, on suspicion of child neglect.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) said in a statement, posted to its' Facebook page on Thursday: "Two days after being requested to assist with the Athena Brownfield missing child investigation, Special Agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) make an arrest in the case.
"Alysia Adams (10/5/1991) was arrested at the Grady County Sheriff's Office at 4:12 p.m. on two counts of child neglect. The counts stem from the two sisters, four and five-years-old, who were in her and her husband's care. The five-year-old was found Tuesday afternoon wondering outside Adams' house on 225 W. Nebraska in Cyril. A postal carrier found the girl and notified police that she was alone."
The search for Brownfield is continuing, with multiple law enforcement agencies and volunteers involved. Garbage disposal has been suspended in Cyril to avoid destroying any evidence.
The bureau added: "The OSBI is following every tip that is received, which are coming in from Oklahoma, as well as other states. In an effort to find clues as to Athena's whereabouts, the trash service in Cyril was suspended. Additionally, analysts are reviewing surveillance video from around Cyril and seeking other evidence that can help locate Athena.
"The OSBI is being assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies, as well as volunteers who have given much of their time in the search for Athena."
A booking photograph of Adams, wearing an orange jumpsuit, was released along with the statement.
On Wednesday, a missing and endangered person alert was issued by Oklahoma Highway Patrol, covering a 15-mile radius around Cyril.
The same day, OSBI spokesperson Brook Arbeitman said it has "yet to be determined" whether Brownfield has suffered any physical harm, adding the whereabouts of her parents are "part of the ongoing investigation."
Arbeitman continued: "Right now, our top priority is locating her, and sorting out who's responsible will come next. But we need to find this little girl.
"She's a little child and she's missing, and she's on her own in the elements."
Law-enforcement officers searching for Adams are being assisted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, military personnel from Fort Sill, north of Lawton, Oklahoma, and volunteers, according to Arbeitman.
Police said volunteers are conducting a search grid, checking abandoned buildings and waterways, with both sniffer dogs and drones assisting them.
According to authorities, Athena is around 3 feet tall, with blue eyes and light brown hair, and was recently wearing a butterfly hoodie.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the OSBI at 800-522-8017 or tips@osbi.ok.gov.
On Friday morning, a spokesperson for the OSBI told Newsweek that the bureau had nothing to add, beyond what has been made publicly available.
On Thursday, 62-year-old Scott Eizember was killed by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary, making him the first person in the state to receive the death penalty in 2023. He had been convicted of murdering 76-year-old A.J. Cantrell and 70-year-old Patsy Cantrell in 2003.
In 2022, 18 men were put to death across the United States, after being convicted of crimes.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics ... Read more