CLEARLAKE — Clearlake Police closed a nine-hour missing person investigation with positive results Tuesday.
A 7-year-old girl reported missing around 6 p.m. Monday was located unharmed at approximately 1:15 a.m. Tuesday morning.
According to Sgt. R. Joseph, investigation of the incident ultimately concluded around 2:50 a.m. with the arrest of the girl”s father, identified as Daryl Ball, 30, of Clearlake for a domestic violence felony violation. He said the child was placed into protective custody, in the child”s best interest and pending further investigation, with Lake County Child Protective Services (CPS).
“This single investigation took the Clearlake Police Department just over nine hours to complete and was an emotional relief to the investigating officers when the missing child was found safe,” Joseph said. “The Clearlake Police Department takes all cases of reported missing persons seriously.”
According to Joseph, Officer L. Vance took a missing person report on the child from Ball around 6 p.m. Ball reported that his daughter was last seen at the school she attends in Clearlake just before 2 p.m. “Police had the missing child”s information placed into the national computer database; the Missing and Unidentified Person System (MUPS),” he said. “Clearlake Police also broadcasted a missing person alert to all Lake County law enforcement agencies.”
Joseph said at the time, circumstances of the missing child”s disappearance were unknown.
Joseph said he and officers T. Paulsen and T. Lenz assumed the investigation, collectively contacting several school officials including the school principal, the missing girl”s teacher and bus driver. “School officials confirmed the child had attended school and also provided officers with contact information on classmates” families who were also contacted in hopes of learning the circumstances of the missing child,” he said. “The officers also contacted and interviewed several distant family members and friends of the missing girl”s family. The officers worked feverishly throughout the night trying to find this missing child.”
Joseph said at approximately 1:15 a.m. Tuesday officers received a tip that the missing girl was at a residence on Woodland Drive. He said officers went to the residence and ultimately located the missing child. “She was unharmed and had been placed at the residence by the child”s adult mother,” he said, adding that the mother”s name is being purposely withheld victim protection purposes. He said the mother placed the child at the residence because of an ongoing custody battle between her and Ball.
“The child”s mother reported to police that Daryl had assaulted her a couple of hours earlier in Clearlake, while trying to find their child,” Joseph said. “The child”s mother was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for treatment of her injuries.”
Joseph said Ball was re-contacted and subsequently arrested for a felony violation of 273.5(A)PC, domestic violence, for the alleged assault on the child”s mother. He was booked into Lake County Jail.
Any person with information on any Clearlake Police Department investigation is urged to contact the police department at 994-8251. “You can remain anonymous,” Joseph said.
