Police in Australia are searching for a missing 5-year-old girl who disappeared from her bed in the middle of the night.
The girl, identified by police as Sharon, was last seen by her parents when they put her to bed around 11:30 p.m. on April 25 at their home in Old Timers Camp, Alice Springs, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. When the girl’s mother went to check on her a short time later, she was gone.
According to a statement from NT Police, Sharon was reported missing at 1:35 a.m. on April 26, sparking an extensive search effort.
“It’s a terrible situation to have such a young child go missing,” Northern Territory Police Acting Commander Mark Grieve said during a press conference, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. “We’re over 24 hours now, so it’d certainly be my worst nightmare as a parent. We’re wrapping [our arms] around the mother.”
Although authorities initially believed Sharon may have wandered from her home, police said they are now asking for the public’s help to find 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis who they believe “can assist with enquires” in the investigation.
Lewis, who was recently released from prison, had allegedly been staying at the home at the time Sharon disappeared, 7 News reported.
“He currently remains one of the few people who were in Old Timers Camp at the time, and who has not made themselves known to police,” Grieve said, “nor have police been able to locate him.”
Grieve added, per The Sydney Morning Herald, that Lewis disappeared around the same time as Sharon which “certainly brings about those suspicious circumstances.”
RELATED: A Brutal Home Invasion Left a Beloved Businessman Dead, Then a Phone Call Changed Everything
Lewis—who is not closely related to the missing child—has previously been arrested on charges of domestic violence and assault. Police said none of the charges involved children, according to the news outlet.
“If he is involved,” Grieve said per 7 News, “we certainly hope that no harm has come to Sharon.”
According to police, Sharon was last seen wearing a dark blue short-sleeve t-shirt with a white stripe around the neck and white stripe around the bottom of the sleeves. She was also wearing a pair of black boxer style underwear.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact police or submit an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers.
