SAN ANTONIO — A search that began Thursday morning on the northwest side may be related to the disappearance of Lina Sardar Khil, who was 3 years old when she went missing in 2021 from a San Antonio apartment complex.
Crews were searching in the area behind the Helix Apartments at Wurzbach and Bluemel, which is about a half-mile from where Lina disappeared. Police say they are following up on a tip they received. Officers at the scene said they have received similar tips over the years that prompted these types of searches without necessarily informing the public.
"This is not the first time we have been out here doing these kind of searches," said Officer Ricardo Guzman of the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD). "In today’s case, it is a public space and residents called in, concerned why police were here."
Lina remains an active missing persons case with SAPD. Surveillance video previously released by police shows her at a playground on Dec. 20, 2021, before she disappeared. In that video, she can be seen wearing a red outfit and coat while playing near other young children.
At one point, she walks out of the video. That’s the last time she was seen.
San Antonio police and the FBI could be seen scouring the greenway between the Helix Apartments and Auburn Creek Apartments with the help of K-9s.
Pamela Allen, head of Eagle Flight Advocacy and Outreach, met Wednesday with investigators alongside Lina's father Riaz, family-friend Lawang and other members of the Islamic community. During the meeting, which was held at Public Safety Headquarters, Lina's family expressed frustrations about what they believe is an absence in regular communication by law enforcement to provide updates on the investigation.
Allen said she was told by authorities they're waiting for special equipment that's able to identify buried objects before proceeding with the search Friday morning.
Allen said authorities told the family they're looking for a possible body and intend to execute a thorough search of the wooded area, which has been explored before but not to this extent.
"We wondered if it had anything to do with the meeting yesterday but they're here, what if? We always go back to what if and so we're just going to pray for a good outcome," Allen said. "Dad is very frustrated, the family is very saddened by the fact that she has been missing for two years and when I asked dad if we could do something to commemorate her birthday, his answer was please no, no more. He's just spent."
Back in December, in an observance held on her 5th birthday, Lina's family released an updated sketch of what the girl might look like now. Speaking through a translator, her father said he hoped it would bring in more tips.
Guzman on Thursday noted the intensity of public interest in this case.
"This case affected San Antonio pretty heavily when it happened two years ago," he said. "People still talk about this case."
Police said they couldn't provide details of who gave the tip or where it came from, but they did say it was a new lead that they were hopeful could provide new information.
If you know anything about this case, you are urged to call SAPD's Missing Persons Unit at (210) 207-7660. There is a reward being offered from Crime Stoppers and the Islamic Center of San Antonio to help find her.
