9yr old, Autistic Girl Mikaela Renee Lynch 5/12/13 in Clearlake, CA(Body Found)

[Red]

9 Year Old, Autistic San Francisco Schoolgirl Mikaela Renee Lynch Missing Since 5/12/13 From her Lake County Vacation Home in Clearlake, CA

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2013/05/13/9-year-old-autistic-san-francisco-schoolgirl-mikaela-renee-lynch-missing-since-51213-from-her-lake-county-vacation-home-in-clearlake-ca/

9 year old Mikaela Renee Lynch has been missing since Sunday, May 12, 2013 when she disappeared from her Lake County Vacation home in  Clearlake, CA.  Mikaela Renee Lynch was last seen in Highlands Harbor at about 1:30pm Sunday. The 9 year old girl has autism and is reported to have the metal capacity of a one year old. Mikaela had been playing on a trampoline with her younger brother, but left  her alone for “just a few minutes” when he ran inside the house. From what is being reported,  Mikaela likes water but does not swim. Not a very good combination when one is vacationing at a lake house. Say a special prayer that this precious child be found safe.

[Red]

Autistic SF girl, 9, missing in Clearlake

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Autistic-SF-girl-9-missing-in-Clearlake-4512413.php

The girl has been playing on a trampoline with her younger brother, but was left alone for "just a few minutes" when he ran inside to avoid a bee, said Clearlake police Lt. Tim Celli.

Authorities said Mikaela has the mental capacity of a 1-year-old.

She "is attracted to water" but does not know how to swim, Celli said. Her family's home backs up against water, and search-and-rescue teams were scouring nearby waterways by air and on the ground.

"She can doggy-paddle, but apparently her thought process does not allow her to close her mouth," Celli said.

"We are still hoping for the best," he said. "We want to use every resource we have available to us to hopefully bring his to a positive outcome."

 

[Red]

Search expands for vacationing autistic girl, 9, missing in Clearlake

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130513/ARTICLES/130519855/1350?Title=Search-expands-for-missing-Clearlake-girl

Hundreds of volunteers and public safety officers spent the day scouring Cache Creek and the lakeside neighborhoods in Clearlake on Monday, one day after Mikaela disappeared from the yard of her family’s Highlands Harbor vacation home.

Family members told police the 70-pound, 4-foot-tall child has the mental capacity of a 1-year-old and can’t speak, said Clearlake Police Lt. Tim Celli.

“She does like water. The residence does back up to waterways,” Celli said. “As far as we know she does not swim.”

Police believe Mikaela is naked and shoeless. They were told she often removed her clothes when she became hot. Police found articles of clothing in the yard.

The girl also typically wore a diaper.

“Canines have led to a diaper we believe the child was wearing at some point, located near the waterway at least one house away,” said Celli.

The scent trail seemed to end there, he said.

[MuffyBee]

OMGosh!  I'm praying for a miracle Mikaela can be found safe.  There's a lot working against finding her safe, but sometimes it comes out okay.  I hope this is one of those times. 

A child with the mental capacity of a 1 year old, she can't speak, is near water and can't swim.  And was left alone.  Frightening.   

[klaasend]

http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31204:numerous-agencies-join-search-for-missing-clearlake-girl-aunt-calls-situation-devastating&catid=1:latest&Itemid=197

Numerous agencies join search for missing Clearlake girl; aunt calls situation ‘devastating’
Monday, 13 May 2013 14:21 Elizabeth Larson

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The search for a missing Clearlake girl grew on Monday, as agencies from around the region joined the effort and her worried family waited for news.

Authorities have been searching for 9-year-old Mikaela Renee Lynch since Sunday afternoon, after her father reported her missing from her family’s home on Harbor Drive, as Lake County News has reported.

It’s believed that the girl – who has autism and cannot speak – wandered away from home, and may not have been clothed when she left. She had last been seen playing in the family’s yard.

She is described as a white female, 4 feet tall and weighing 70 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Lt. Tim Celli of the Clearlake Police Department said Monday that numerous agencies had joined the search.

In addition to Clearlake and Lake County officials, Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Contra Costa had sent personnel and resources to assist, Celli said.

The child’s family continued to wait and hope for her safe return.

“I have never seen parents more in love with their child than Michael and Bari. This is devastating,” said the girl’s aunt, Yvonne Heidt, who lives in Texas.

Efforts to find the girl began immediately on Sunday, with Clearlake Police personnel and volunteers, Lake County Fire, Northshore Dive Team, K-Corps and even community members assisting, according to reports from the scene.

REACH and California Highway Patrol sent helicopters to fly over Cache Creek, which is near the girl’s home.

Witnesses said officials went door to door, blocked off the street and even searched cars leaving the area.

Early Monday, dogs were being used to search, police said.
 

[klaasend]

[Red]

OMGosh!  I'm praying for a miracle Mikaela can be found safe.  There's a lot working against finding her safe, but sometimes it comes out okay.  I hope this is one of those times. 

A child with the mental capacity of a 1 year old, she can't speak, is near water and can't swim.  And was left alone.  Frightening.   

Heart breaking. I just don't understand how some think that a child that is so innocent and dependent because of his handicap can ever be left alone. I just don't get it. Some cases hurt more than others. This is one of them because it will most likely play out that it all could have been avoided.

I pray they find her safe.

[grace-land]

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/may/14/focus-of-search-for-calif-9-year-old-changes/

Focus of search for Calif. 9-year-old changes
Posted May 14, 2013 at 1:10 p.m.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. (AP) - Surveillance video has changed the focus of the search for a 9-year-old autistic girl who went missing from her family's vacation home in Northern California.

Clearlake Police Lt. Tim Celli tells KGO-TV on Tuesday that the video shows Mikaela Lynch running up the street after she was last seen at the home on Sunday. The video came from a neighbor's surveillance camera.
 
Homeowners are being asked to check their cars, outbuildings and crawl spaces.

[grace-land]

http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31217:update-video-clip-of-missing-girl-aids-in-search&catid=1:latest&Itemid=197

UPDATE: Video clip of missing girl aids in search 
Tuesday, 14 May 2013 11:58

 
Clausen said that early Tuesday police got an important new clue as to where the girl may have gone in the form of a surveillance video clip from a neighboring vacation home. That clip has not been released by police.

Michaela’s parents had reported her missing just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday; Clausen said the video showed the child running down Harbor Drive in a northerly direction at approximately 1:31 p.m.

It was just a small video clip, but Clausen said it was an important clue. “Now we have a last known direction,” he said.

The clip is an “absolutely positive” development, he added, explaining that search efforts were being refocused in the direction she was last seen traveling.

Clausen said the video showed the girl unclothed. Her family said she had been clothed when she was last seen playing in the yard, but found her clothing after she disappeared.

The child had a habit of taking her clothes off, Clausen reported. “That is not unusual for that to happen.”

A diaper found nearby also is believed to have been one she was wearing at the time she was last seen at her home, Clausen said.

Clausen said the girl’s disappearance continues to be handled as a case of her wandering away. He said there is no evidence to indicate she was abducted.
 

[grace-land]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-autistic-girl-speak-considered-risk/story?id=19177950#.UZKtlL4o7IU

California Authorities Continue to Search for Autistic, 'Very Inquisitive' Girl
May 14, 2013

 
Mikaela Lynch, of San Francisco, was reported missing from her fenced-in backyard where she had been playing with her younger brother, ABC's San Francisco affiliate KGO-TV reported. Lynch's brother reportedly ran inside to avoid a bee, and left the gate open and his sister unattended.
 
Haben Porter, a teacher at the school, described Mikaela as "very inquisitive."

"She likes to explore and climb," Porter told KGO-TV. "It's just kind of part of who she is."

Nearly half of all children with autism will run away and potentially go missing at least once before their 17th birthdays, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Of those who run away, what clinicians call "eloping," many will be found dead.
 

[grace-land]

http://**/ci_23240727/more-agencies-join-search-autistic-girl-missing-clearlake

More agencies join search for autistic girl missing in Clearlake
Updated:   05/14/2013 02:42:47 PM PDT

 
Members of the Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Sheriff's Office and Lake County Search and Rescue are currently searching for Mikaela.

The agencies ask that landowners search their properties, including any outbuildings and garages, for any sign of Mikaela.

Muliple agencies from around the state are assisting with the search. Clearlake Police Chief Craig Clausen said there are seven law enforcement boats in the water, about 70 search officials on ground, two dive teams and a robotic-operated vehicle actively involved in the search effort. Community members have papered the vicinity with fliers and volunteers continue to arrive to assist in any way they can.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts or believes they have seen her is asked to call the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251.

[yuknomenot]

Hopefully she is just scared and hiding.

Why was she in the care of her younger brother to begin with? At the very least they should be reporting that she was outside playing without parental/adult supervision.  If this ends up as a worst case scenario he will eventually blame himself and these articles will only do more harm.  Noone with such extreme challenges should be in the care of a child of any age, or many adults for that matter.  /soapbox

[Green Eyes]

Hopefully she is just scared and hiding.

Why was she in the care of her younger brother to begin with? At the very least they should be reporting that she was outside playing without parental/adult supervision.  If this ends up as a worst case scenario he will eventually blame himself and these articles will only do more harm.  Noone with such extreme challenges should be in the care of a child of any age, or many adults for that matter.  /soapbox

Those are my thoughts too yuknomenot. I pray they find Mikaela safe. This is so sad.

[grace-land]

http://**/news/ci_23242841/video-reveals-mother-was-close-behind-missing-autistic

Video reveals mother was close behind missing autistic girl on Mother's Day
Updated:   05/14/2013 03:50:28 PM PDT

CLEARLAKE A home surveillance video near the home of a missing child captured a view of Mikaela Renee Lynch, 9, running naked down the street. Shortly after, the video caught a glimpse of Mikaela's mother searching for her daughter in a white truck. Though the mother did not see her child, the video timestamp indicated the mother was about two minutes behind her daughter.

A press conference regarding the missing autistic girl in Clearlake is scheduled for 4 p.m. today. Agencies from Tehama County to Santa Clara County have joined the search for the girl who went missing on Mother's Day. The area of focus is taking place in the vicinity of a lagoon located around Highland Harbor and Harbor Drive in Clearlake.
 

[Red]

Home owners in the area need to check every part of their property, sheds, boats, garages, outbuildings, dog houses, everything.

The fact that she was caught on video is reassuring. However, it also shows that with the mothers just being minutes behind how important it is to never let such a dependent child out of your sight. The little girl can't speak which makes finding her that much more difficult. Say a prayer for Mikaela Renee Lynch.

[Green Eyes]

I agree they need to search every possible place. It's going to get down to about 48 there tonight and in the low 80's and then down in the low 50's.   I pray they find her soon and she is safe.  The longer it goes makes me very sad that this isn't going to have a happy ending.

[grace-land]

Video at the link

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/380519/28/9-year-old-autistic-girl-missing-since-Sunday

Mikaela Lynch missing since Sunday
9:50 PM, May 14, 2013

CLEARLAKE, Calif. (KTVU/CNN) - The family of a missing California girl are holding onto hope she can be found alive.

Nine-year-old Mikaela Lynch, who has autism, disappeared Sunday while vacationing with her family in Clearlake.

A CDF chopper was launched Tuesday morning to search from the air, while sheriff's deputies used boats to check the docks along Clearlake.

In the meantime, there were dozens of searchers who went door to door in the neighborhood, all of them looking for any sign of Mikaela, missing since Sunday.

Her godfather, Mike Dowling, says the family is trying to remain positive.

"Obviously this is a very difficult time for the family, for the parents especially. We are eternally grateful for the volunteers, the law enforcement, and the people who have come out, the community. The family remains hopeful at this time," he said.
 
"It shows she was alive and well at a specific time and heading in a certain direction, so we're able to focus our search dogs and scent dogs in that area which can lead us to other areas," said Chief Craig Clausen.
 
Mikaela's family is asking people to check their yards and around their homes because she is known to curl up in a comfortable place and stay put.

[klaasend]

[grace-land]

Poor child.  I wonder if she is staying in one place and waiting to be found.  This case reminds me of Cole Evans, 7, who wandered off in Arizona and slept under an abandoned trailer waiting to be found.  I hope that all of the neighbors in the area check every inch of their property.  Praying for Mikaela to be found soon.

[grace-land]

http://**/news/ci_23245013/community-urged-keep-search-going

Community urged to keep the search going
By Rich Mellott -- Staff reporter
Updated:   05/14/2013 09:02:34 PM PDT

CLEARLAKE -- As daylight began to fade Tuesday evening, search and rescue teams from throughout Northern California continued their search for an autistic 9-year-old San Francisco girl who disappeared on Sunday afternoon after leaving the backyard of her vacation home.

"We remain hopeful," Clearlake Chief of Police Craig Clausen said at news conference early Tuesday evening. "We're running out of daylight today, but we're bringing in more personnel and equipment for the morning."
 
Dive teams from the Marin County Sheriff's Office concentrated on a lagoon near where Mikaela was last seen on video. The lagoon is between Harbor Drive and Highlands Harbor Road.

Other research and rescue personnel searched the backyards and fields on Highlands Harbor Road on the other side of the lagoon and in other bordering neighborhoods.

Friends of the Lynch family urged the community to keep searching for the child even though they may have already searched some areas once or even twice.

Mikaela's autism is severe enough where she is likely very scared, disoriented, and possibly on the run, hiding in a variety of small and hidden locations and then possibly returning to those same places later.

"So if they've checked their backyards once, please, search them again," said family friend Natalie Frank of San Francisco.

"The clock is ticking," she said. "We need everyone to keep checking their backyards and their houses, even if they've already searched them."

It's a difficult case for search and rescue personnel who can't use the methods they normally would in trying to locate a child, because Mikaela, in her frightened condition, won't respond to people calling her name, and might, in fact, try to withdraw further from view.