(KGTV) – A $250,000 reward is being offered as authorities continue efforts in finding a young girl missing since 2016 after her mother was found dead in a San Francisco park.
The FBI and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said Arianna Fitts was two years old when she was reported missing on April 5, 2016, in the San Francisco area.
According to a video released by the NCMEC, Nicole “Nikki” Fitts -- a single mother -- arranged to have a babysitter take care of her daughter Arianna while she worked nights. The arrangement went on for several months.
On April 1, 2016, Fitts told a friend she planned to meet with Arianna’s babysitter, but that day was the last that anyone had heard from Fitts.
Fitts’ body was discovered in a shallow grave in John McLaren Park on April 8, the NCMEC said. Fitts’ death was classified as a murder by San Francisco Police, but the cause of her death has not been disclosed.
FBI officials said they believe Arianna was not with her mother when she was killed. The agency thinks the child’s disappearance and her mother’s death are related.
As the seven-year mark of Arianna’s disappearance approaches, NCMEC forensic artists created an age progression image of what Arianna might look like at age 8.
NCMEC officials stated:
“Investigators say the search for Arianna is nationwide and believe some witnesses have relocated to areas of California and Nevada. Police Department (SFPD) is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Nikki’s murder and Arianna’s disappearance. If you have information, call SFPD 415-575-4444 or NCMEC 1-800-THE LOST (1-800-843-5678).”
Angeline Hartmann, Director of Communications at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said, “We’re asking everyone, no matter where you are or how busy you may be, to just take a brief moment to look closely at this image. You may be the key to finding Arianna and not even know it.”
