11-Year-Old Norcross Girl Who Disappeared Found Safe

NORCROSS, GA -- An 11-year old girl who disappeared on her way home in Norcross has been found safe, Patch has learned. The girl was walking home around 7 p.m. when she vanished, the Gwinnett Police Department said.

Emelia Akinlotan was found at the Circle K / BP gas station at 4125 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, authorities said. She was to be reunited with her family in short order.

Wednesday night, Emelia's grandmother called the girl's mother to let her know that the child was on her way home less than a 2-minute walk away. (To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Norcross Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

"After her expected arrival time came and went, the mother confirmed with the grandmother that Emelia did not return to her home," a Gwinnett police said in a news release. The mother called authorities from a home in the 5800 block of Wintergreen Road around 7:30 p.m. to report that her little girl was missing.

Multiple officers immediately responded and conducted a ground search. The Gwinnett County Police Department Search Team was enlisted along with the Aviation and K9 Units, authorities said.

Emelia is described as 5 feet 3 inches and about 175 pounds. Her hair is short and black and may have silver clips in the back. She was last wearing a gray three-fourths sleeve shirt with white stripes on the upper arm, blue jeans with white embroidery on the top, white slippers or brown strap sandals.

She does not have a cell phone, Gwinnett police said.

Image via Gwinnett PD