Mother and Daughter Honored for Helping Find Missing Girl

A local mother and daughter were honored by the Herndon Town Council Tuesday night for their vigilance and help in returning a missing juvenile to her family.

According to the Town police department, Olge Aste and her daughter Mandy were driving in the area of Wiehle Avenue and Fairfax County Parkway on Jan. 8 when they noticed a young girl walking alone.

Police said Mandy recognized the girl and turned to her mother and said the girl should not be walking in that area alone.

It turns out Mandy was more right than she knew. The young girl had been reported missing by her family earlier that morning after Herndon High School had notified them that the girl had not shown up at school. They discovered that the girl had never boarded her usual school bus.

Herndon Police said Olga turned the car around and pulled over. Mandy began talking with the young girl while Olga called the police.

Police officers had been searching for the girl for the past hour when the Aste family spotted her. They quickly responded after receiving Olga's call, and the girl was reunited with her family.

"The girl was wet and cold but otherwise unharmed," Herndon Police reported on their Facebook page.

The Herndon Town Council honored Olga and Mandy during Tuesday night's meeting. Herndon Police posted photos from the meeting to their Facebook page.

"Mandy and Olga’s Aste's willingness to help a fellow citizen in distress warm’s our hearts. We are so grateful that they chose to turn around and pick up the phone to call us," the post read. "Great job, ladies!"