HOT SPRINGS -- A 17-year-old high school girl who was reported as missing Monday, triggering a statewide AMBER Alert, was located unharmed Tuesday evening, according to authorities.
Trynytee Case, 17, of Hot Springs, a student at Cutter Morning Star High School, was reported missing after she had left her job at a downtown business Monday. Case had been seen last at around 9:15 p.m. Monday near her job at Pour Some Sugar on Me Sweet Shoppe, 502 Central Ave., talking with an unidentified white female, according to police.
"We're going to get her and get some interviews and make sure we can resolve this whole thing," Hot Springs police officer Omar Cervantes told The Sentinel-Record shortly after Case was found late Tuesday afternoon. "As of right now, we just want everyone to know she is safe; we've got her."
Cervantes confirmed late Tuesday that a 2021 white Nissan Versa reported to have been involved in the incident had been located and that police were questioning "a couple" of people of interest. Cervantes would not say exactly how many people of interest police were questioning, but said more information would be released today.
According to an AMBER Alert sent out early Tuesday, Case left work at the bakery along with another co-worker and the two were walking to their vehicles parked a block away. The two were met by an unknown white female standing near a parked vehicle.
The unknown female asked Case if she could use her phone, stating she was lost and her parents were staying in a condominium in Hot Springs, the alert said. The woman then changed her mind and told Case she needed to utilize the GPS coordinates and asked her to walk closer to the woman's vehicle.
During that time, Case's friend went to get her vehicle, which was parked in the city's parking garage. When the friend returned to pick up Case, she was nowhere to be found, according to the alert.
The friend attempted to call Case but no one answered. The friend "panicked and called Case's mother, who tried to call Case numerous times, the alert said.
Case reportedly answered and said, "everything is fine," but then a male voice came across the phone and demanded $10,000 for Case's return or "they would kill and cut up the victim," according to the alert. The phone went dead at that point.
Case's cellphone was pinged and was last seen headed south on Arkansas 7, according to Hot Springs police.
"Our prayers have been answered," Cutter Morning Star Superintendent Nancy Anderson said Tuesday afternoon after Case had been found safe. "We want to thank the law enforcement agencies that worked so diligently to bring Trynytee home safely. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support during this stressful event."
Information for this article was contributed by Grant Lancaster of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.