Jayla, 11, who walked out of her Miami home Monday and disappeared, has been found

Charles Rabin, Carli Teproff
·2 min read

Jayla Jones, the 11-year-old who walked out of her family’s Little Haiti apartment at 8:26 Monday morning and disappeared, has been found unharmed, police said Tuesday evening.

It was not immediately clear where Jayla had been since Monday. Police were set to distribute fliers when they were notified that someone who matched Jayla’s description was walking near North Miami Avenue and 57th Street.

Jayla was taken to police headquarters.

At a press conference at police headquarters earlier in the day, Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina said the U.S. Secret Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were helping Miami police search for the young girl. The chief had said he would soon contact the FBI and asked the public to help find the girl.

“Please help us get Jayla home,” Colina said.

Reached on Monday, Jayla’s mom, Nakia Jones, said her daughter had gone to take the garbage out, returned, then left shortly after and never came back. She said it was unusual behavior for her daughter.

“I just want her to come home,” Jones said.

Police released a statement Monday saying Jayla, 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 100 pounds, was last seen in a pink T-shirt and blue shorts. On Tuesday, Colina said she was in a teal shirt. A relative who spoke briefly Tuesday said the young girl was “very impressionable,” but also “had a heart of gold.”

The family member said relatives and friends canvassed the neighborhood Monday and again Tuesday. Colina said police did a grid search Monday, but found little to help them in their search.

“Video shows her leaving on her own accord,” he said. “That’s the last that we’ve seen or heard from Jayla.”

Surveillance video spotted her walking along Northeast 67th Street near First Avenue.

Colina said there was no indication of anything unusual going on in the family’s apartment at Northeast First Avenue and 67th Street. And there was no indication she was lured or taken from her home by a family member or stranger.

“She was just walking from her apartment. There really was nothing that would have raised a red flag or alarm at the time,” said the chief. “We know she left on her own, walked away. What happens after that, we don’t know.”