PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - An extensive search for a 9-year-old Paulding County girl who disappeared from her home Wednesday night has come to an end after she was located early Thursday morning.
What we know:
The Paulding County Sheriff's Office said family members reported the young girl missing shortly before 9 p.m. Aug. 26. Deputies immediately began searching the area and detectives were called in to assist.
She was reportedly seen in the Annandale subdivision off of Old Cartersville Road in the Dallas area.
The Paulding County sheriff reported at 5:40 a.m. Thursday that the search was still underway.
At 7:15 a.m., Sheriff Henson posted an update on Facebook saying that the girl had been located and is safe. He also thanked the community for their help.
Emergency alert sent overnight
Authorities brought in additional resources throughout the night, including multiple K-9 teams and volunteers from the Paulding County Emergency Management Agency's Community Emergency Response Team.
During the investigation, detectives determined the circumstances met the criteria to use the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, or IPAWS. The system allows authorities to send emergency information directly to people in a targeted area.
Many people in the Paulding County area received an alert shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday about the search.