WGEM.com: Quincy News, Weather, Sports, and RadioAmber Alert: Search efforts grow in Alisa Maier abduction

Amber Alert: Search efforts grow in Alisa Maier abduction

(UPDATE: 4-year-old Alisa Maier was found alive Tuesday evening in Fenton, Missouri. Click here for the latest information.)

LOUISIANA, Mo. (WGEM) – The search efforts continue to grow as officials and local residents continue to search for a 4-year-old Louisiana, MO girl abducted from the front yard of her home Monday evening.

In a news conference late Tuesday afternoon, Mike Kaste, assistant special agent for the FBI, said that 75-100 law enforcement officials from federal, state, county and local agencies are involved in the search for 4-year-old Alisa Maier.

Nearly 50 volunteers are also helping canvass the area, looking for any clues that may help in the case. (See 'Amber Alert: Louisiana residents banding together to find Alisa Maier)

"It's a complete community effort from every standpoint," Kaste said.

Kaste said that over 30 FBI agents are involved in the case, many of which are specialists in child abduction cases.

"These teams are trained; they have extensive practice doing this," Kaste said.

Missouri State Police issued an Amber Alert for Maier Monday night after police said Alisa was playing in her front yard with her 5-year-old brother when a black passenger car pulled up.

Police continue to have only a vague description of the alleged abductor. He is possibly a white male with dark hair and maybe in his late teens or early 20's. Hughes said the car may have some front end damage.

Kaste said that they are interviewing known registered sex offenders living in Louisiana area. He said that no one has been ruled out as a possible suspect.

"Until she's actually located, we're looking at every single avenue," Kaste said. "We'll continue to go where the evidence leads us.

Kaste said that he hopes someone in the community can provide some clues or insight on the suspicious car.

"This is a very tight knit community, everybody knows everybody," Kaste said. "Think about what you did yesterday. Did you see anyone suspicious? Did you see a vehicle that was suspicious?"

At Noon, an emotional Louisiana Police Chief Richard Hughes said that they are following "a lot of leads" in the abduction.

Hughes says that the only witness to the alleged crime remains the girl's brother. The case is being considered a random abduction, as they currently have no other reason to believe otherwise.

Surveillance tapes from gas stations in Louisiana have also been collected and are being reviewed, Hughes said.

Alisa is a white girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She is about three-feet-tall and weighs about 40 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white tee shirt and blue jean shorts.

According to Alisa's great-grandmother, the children's parents were inside the house when Alisa went missing.

"I just hope that whoever's got her will realize that people are looking for him and he'll let her go in some safe place and won't hurt her," Mary Foiles, Alisa's great-grandmother said. "She's such a sweet, trusting, little girl and she might have just got in the car with him.  She's so sweet natured and smiles all the time.  And got big, brown eyes. And I just I can't picture anybody wanting to hurt some sweet, little baby like that."  

A volunteer post is set up at the Elks Lodge at 7th and Tennessee Streets.  Local residents and volunteers from around the area are passing out fliers and trying to spread the word about Alisa's disappearance.

"She is a really good girl, always smiling," Roy Harrison, Alisa's grandfather said during the Noon news conference. "I want this baby back."

Officers from agencies including the Louisiana Police Department, Missouri State Police, Pike County (Missouri) Sheriff's Department, Illinois State Police and FBI are all involved in the investigation.

If you know anything about their whereabouts, you're encouraged to call the Louisiana, Missouri police at (573) 754-4021 right away.

http://www.missouriamberalert.com/current.php