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Gene Kennedy ReportingA 12-year-old West Valley City girl missing since yesterday has been found. The search for her ended when she showed up for school this morning.
Police say Samanthia Stayton apparently spent the night with a friend, without telling her family. Police were at Hunter Junior High this morning questioning people when the girl showed up.
Yesterday afternoon, her father went to Hunter Junior High to pick her up and she wasn't there.
At first he wasn't concerned. He figured she went home with some friends. But when she didn't show up for a church function, he called police.
Investigators sent out a missing child alert. Also, police called 15-hundred citizens asking for information on Samanthia's whereabouts.
Police checked with family, friends, neighbors... no leads. They received several tips as well, but no sign of the girl.
Overnight, police went door-to-door, talked with sex offenders in the area and double-checked their alibis. Police say they were all cooperative.
Capt. Tom McLachlan: "We're feeling very, very elated this morning. It turned out positive.
When asked why she didn't call her father, Capt. Tom McLauchlan said, "We're going to talk to her about that. Detectives are doing that. And for any other child out there that is going to have an unannounced sleepover, call your parents. A night worth of worry, a little phone call will end that. And also we don't have to expend resources on something that's benign."
Police say that Samanthia's father is very relieved.
