SHEPHERD — A 7-year-old child listed as missing on Friday was back in safe hands Saturday morning after law enforcement personnel in two counties mounted a search.
San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Hazel Hodge Lassiter has been located and is deemed to be in good health and safe.
An Amber Alert was issued Friday after CPS authorities contacted the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office in regard to the case involving Hazel, as well as her listed parents — Brandon Lassiter, 44, and Ashley Doss-Lassiter, 41.
SJCSO Chief Deputy Tim Kean said the two adults lost custody based on court order following an investigation by Child Protective Services. He said there will be more hearings, but for now Hazel is in foster care.
Kean said his office got involved after Precinct 1 Constable Ray Atchley received a court order to pick up the child. Atchley went to the listed address, but no one could be found.
“He then contacted us (on Friday), and then we started looking ourselves,” he said. “When we were notified, we used every available means to find the child.”
Kean said that during the search, the Lassiters “played cat and mouse with us,” being just a step ahead of the authorities. The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office were called in to assist in the search, and after a short time, Hazel was located in the 700 block of CR 2250 in Tarkington and was picked up Saturday morning.
Kean said any criminal charges against the parents are under discussion, but none have been filed.
When the alert was issued, it stated the last date Hazel was seen was listed as Sept. 25, since the child was the subject of an ongoing CPS investigation, Capers said. CPS investigators had been attempting to schedule court dates with the parents but were unsuccessful.
As soon as the request for assistance from CPS was received, the Sheriff’s Office took immediate action in an attempt to locate the child and issued all notices pertinent to this case.
