Details offered in search for missing Taylorsville girl
A missing Taylorsville girl has been found safe. That’s according to Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers.
The search for 9 year old Kelsea Manza started at just after 7:30 p.m. last night when her family contacted authorities saying that she had not come home and they last saw her walking towards Taylorsville Elementary. Witnesses said she was seen playing at Taylorsville Elementary between 6:30 and 7 p.m.
At shortly after 9, authorities issued an alert over the Everbridge system, but concentrated in the Taylorsville area. At just after 10, that alert was sent to the entire Bartholomew County community.
Deputies found the girl lying in bushes near the school at 12:13 p.m. Due to the cool, wet weather conditions, she was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital to be checked out. She had no injuries.
Myers says that she was found safe after a six hour search. He offered some safety tips, should your child go missing:
- Immediately call law enforcement and provide them with up-to-date information and photos.
- Make sure your child knows his/her address and telephone numbers of family members.
- Provide physical characteristics: height, weight, hair and eye color.
- Are there any distinguishing characteristics: glasses, contacts, braces, birthmarks, etc.
- Provide medical information: medications, allergies, physician and contact numbers.
- Fingerprints are critical to complete your childs identification.
- Also, be sure to take a head-and-shoulders photo of your child and update it every 6 months.
The sheriff’s department was assisted in their search by Columbus Police Department, Edinburgh Police Department, Bartholomew Consolidated schools, Indiana State Police, Indiana Conservation officers, Columbus Fire Department and German Township Fire Department.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.