AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department (APD) is asking for assistance locating a baby and a teen mother.
Alexis Garza, 15, and her two-week-old son, Legond Garza, were reported missing on Friday, Feb. 24. The two were last seen on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 10 p.m., near the 2600 block of South Interstate 35 in Austin.
It is unknown at this time where the pair might have gone or who they may be with.
Alexis Garza is from the San Antonio area and is described as a Hispanic female with shoulder-length brown hair with red ends. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants and was seen with a baby stroller.
A family member of Garza confirmed she was in the foster care system. APD said that the pair "ran away from a state facility."
KVUE spoke to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) about its search to find teens who have run away.
"Typically, in a given year, we could expect maybe 3 to 4% of children who are in our conservatorship to run away or go missing from a placement. And we take that very seriously," Mark Wilson with DFPS said. "Anytime these kids come back into care, we want to talk to them. We want to understand what they're going through, what led to that behavior so we can make it a better situation in the future."
One federal report shows that nationally, more than 500 kids who left foster care were considered runaways.
KVUE made multiple attempts to reach out to Garza's family, but they declined to go on camera.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or contact the APD Human Trafficking Unit hotline at 512-974-4786. APD said the unit will be taking the lead on the case.