SAN ANTONIO -- Each year thousands of children from the San Antonio area go missing. Sadly, many of those children are never found.
But thanks to some News 4 WOAI viewers, some of the children reported missing have been located recently. A Heidi Search Center spokesperson said some were found hours after seeing News 4 WOAI's report. Others were found just days after they went missing.
"WOAI have continued to cover these kids," said Kate Kohl Shields of the Heidi Search Center. "Because of that, viewers are paying attention, and we're getting tips that are leading to their location and bringing them home to their family."
Teens Joshua Robinson and Elizabeth Higgerson were found shortly after News 4 WOAI reported them missing.
Then, this past weekend, 13-year-old Jessica Jansen and 14-year-old Kassandra Blanco were reunited with their family after a viewer spotted them in San Antonio.
"It was great to see their faces," said Todd Vance, a family friend. "There were lots of tears."
"Just because they've chosen to run away, doesn't make them any less worth finding," Shield told News 4 WOAI.
Last year, more than 57,000 children were reported missing in Texas. More than 5,000 of those were in Bexar County. Heidi Search Center officials say it takes a partnership to find these children.
Help find missing 14-year-old
The Heidi Search Center is currently searching for Andrea Larrain. The 14-year-old is considered to be in danger right now.
Andrea was last seen on April 11th of 2009.
Andrea has brown hair and light brown eyes.
Her parents were told she could be with a 27-year-old man.
"Sometimes runaways will gravitate to older men," explained Shields. "And what can happen is they become victims of sexual assault, either by that person, and that person could put them into prostitution."
Shields also says predators know what runaways look like and they know what to say to them.
If you have any information about the whereabouts of Andrea Larrain, please call the Heidi Search Center at 210-650-0428 or 1-800-547-4435.
