Gardena Girl, 12, Found Unhurt; Another Area Child Now Missing

A 12-year-old Gardena girl who disappeared Aug. 5 on her way to school was found unharmed at a house in Long Beach, authorities said Friday. But Los Angeles police said another schoolgirl has disappeared.

The family of Erica Seeney was grateful to police and volunteers who searched for six days. “We’re just overjoyed to have her back,” said the girl’s grandmother, Sylvia Swilley.

Swilley declined to say what the girl had told the family of her disappearance. “We just want to do everything we need to do for her,” she said.

Gardena Police Lt. Charles Balo gave this account of the girl’s safe return:

A person identified only as female telephoned Erica Seeney’s mother, Robin Seeney, on Thursday evening to say the girl was OK.

A few hours later, the missing girl called home and also said she had not been harmed.

Investigators traced the calls to a house on Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach. Officers did not find the girl there when they arrived about 9:30 p.m. But shortly afterward, a detective spotted her at a nearby house.

Police would not indicate whether charges might be sought against the people she was found with, saying they were still piecing together events in the case.

Because of Erica’s age, details explaining her disappearance might not be released, Balo said.

The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department joined Gardena police in a search after the girl’s parents reported that she left her Western Avenue home for classes at Robert Peary Middle School but never arrived.

A canine team traced her scent to a hotel a few blocks from her home. Detectives said surveillance tapes showed her entering a hotel room with three people about an hour after she disappeared.

Police had declined to release descriptions of the trio while they hunted for the girl.

But Swilley said that a still photo taken from the video, which police showed to the girl’s parents, appeared to show a teenage male and two adults. The parents did not recognize the three, Swilley said.

In the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles, police searched Friday for 14-year-old Daisy Joana Gallardo.

She was last seen during lunch Tuesday at Francis Polytechnic High School and did not show up for her regular ride home, Officer Kathy Simpson said.

The young Latina was described as 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, with medium-length brown hair and brown eyes.

Detectives asked anyone with information about the Sun Valley teen to call (818) 834-3115.