See our latest: 2 Sought In Abduction Of Northridge Girl; L.A. Parents Urged To Be Vigilant.

Updated at the bottom: She was found with injuries after she was apparently abducted. Headline has changed. First posted at 3:29 p.m.

Lots of people go missing in this mean city, unfortunately, and many do so largely unnoticed. But when a 10-year-old disappeared after she was last seen in her suburban bedroom, the troops motivated today.

And so the FBI today told us they have joined in the search for a 10-year-old who was last seen by her mother at 1 a.m., according to the LAPD. When her mother checked on her at 3:40 a.m. …

… she was gone.

The mother told cops the girl did not have a history of running away.

The FBI told us it's not uncommon for the agency to get involved with a missing-child case but that the LAPD is still the lead agency on the case.

The girl's home is in the 8000 block of Oakdale Avenue (which is not far from Winnetka Elementary School) in Northridge, according to the department.


View Larger Map

In a statement, the LAPD described her this way:

… A 10-year-old white female with red hair and blue eyes. She stands 4 feet 11 inches tall, and weighs about 100 pounds.

Seen her? Call 877-527-3247.

[Update at 3:32 p.m.]: The girl was found this afternoon at a strip mall at Canoga Avenue and Oxnard Street, which is about six miles from her home.


View Larger Map

The LAPD told us they planned to make an announcement at that location shortly.

Why was she there? Is she okay? Stay tuned …

[Added at 3:40 p.m.]: The LAPD says the child has been “transported to hospital.” It's not clear why, but it might just be precautionary. We'll stay on it.

[Update at 4:10 p.m.]: Capt. Kris Pitcher of the LAPD's Devonshire Division indicated to reporters today that the girl had been abducted and that cops are searching for “this individual.”

He would not say she had been kidnapped but told journalists during a press conference at Canoga and Oxford that “she's basically in shock.”

He said she was dropped off at a gas station above and that cops were flagged down about 2:50 p.m.

“She's got some cuts and some bruises and some abrasions,” Pitcher said. ” … Facial abrasions and lacerations.”

He said there were two crime scenes — at the girl's home and at the gas station. It wasn't clear if or how she had been attacked, he said, and a medical examination might reveal that.

The captain said that when the mother discovered that the girl was missing her bedroom room had been ajar.

*[Added at 4:24 p.m.]: Now that this is a case of a possible abduction and attack, LAPD Commander Andrew Smith asked the media to take down photos of the child. We did — and we took her name out of the post.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.