Missing OKC Baby Found Safe, Police Say

Ed Murray, News 9 and News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A missing 9-month-old Oklahoma City girl has been found and police say she is okay.

Police said Kila Berry called 9-1-1 early Friday afternoon after watching the story of the missing girl on a noon newscast. MSgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department says the woman told operators that she was not aware that anyone was looking for the little girl.

Investigators say they were notified Thursday of the missing child, Hananah Jones, by a DHS worker who was at the Park Place Apartments to pick up the child. But neither the child nor her mother, Dadra Jones, were at the apartments, located at 215 Northeast 28th Street.

The apartment's manager told authorities he last saw the girl on Monday. They later learned that Dadra Jones was admitted to the VA Hospital Wednesday afternoon.

Police say the DHS worker said she spoke with a medical social worker at the VA Hospital and was informed that Jones had not been able to find the child.

Knight says Berry is a friend of Dadra Jones and the two ran into each other near the VA Hospital. She was taking her child to the Children's Hospital when Jones approached her and asked if she would watch Hananah for awhile.

"The mother was just standing there and that wasn't the right thing to just up and leave her like that," Berry said.  "That's not my heart.  I just really wanted to help her as much as I can because you could look at her and tell she just didn't want the baby anymore."

Jones signed a piece of paper that stated Berry had her permission to look after the girl.

"I was there at the right time and I didn't just want to wake up, if I would have left her with that baby, wake up the next day and that baby's on the news, something was wrong with that baby, I wouldn't be able to live with that. I wouldn't be able to deal with that."

Berry called police from a friend's house in Southeast Oklahoma City. Sgt. Knight says the girl appeared well taken care of and healthy.

The child is now in DHS custody, according to police.

Knight said the case is still under investigation.