Police Find Girl Who Was Walking Barefoot On Southern State

UPDATE, 2 P.M.: Nassau County police say that, after a 12-hour investigation, the girl was located in Queens, and is safe and unharmed.

ROOSEVELT, NY — A frantic search for a young girl shut down part of the Southern State Parkway Tuesday night, and police are still seeking the public's help to find her.

According to police, a call was made to 911 around 10:20 p.m. for a young girl, who looked about 7 or 8 years old, walking alone and barefoot through the parking lot of the BP gas station at 533 Nassau Road in Roosevelt. Officers responded to the area and began searching for the girl, calling in assistance from the Nassau County Police K-9 unit, the Aviation unit and the state police.

Video from the gas station showed the girl was heading north on Nassau Road, across the bridge over the Southern State Parkway, and then entered the wooded area along the parkway at Nassau Road. Police shut down the Southern State for about a half hour while they searched for the girl, who they could not find.

The girl is black, with a thin build. She was wearing pink pajama pants, a white and blue horizontal striped shirt, large hoop earrings and no shoes.

Police ask anyone with information about the girl or her whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.