The Disappearance of Lina Sardar Khil

Source: Crime Online

Lina Sardar Khil was only 3 years old when she went missing on December 20th, 2021. The little girl lived with her family in San Antonio, Texas at the time of her disappearance. On the evening she vanished, Lina went outside to play with other neighborhood children at a playground at her family's apartment complex around 5:30 PM. Lina's mother turned away for a few minutes, and when she looked back, Lina was gone. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Lina's family is originally from Afghanistan. When Lina was a baby, the family moved to the United States and settled into an Afghan refugee community in San Antonio. The families living in that community all know each other and look after one another. For this reason, Lina's mother felt it was safe for her to turn her back momentarily while Lina played with other neighborhood children. Unfortunately, Lina seemingly vanished within that short amount of time.

When Lina's mother first realized that Lina was no longer at the playground, she went door-to-door throughout the community to see if anyone had seen her daughter. Lina's parents then turned to the leader of their Afghan community to see if he could help. The leader advised Lina's parents to call the police - which they finally did around 7:30 PM that evening. 

Thorough searches were conducted in the family's community and in surrounding areas. Dive teams were sent into a nearby creek. No sign of Lina was found. Lina's family members cooperated with the investigation and have not been labeled as persons of interest. No other persons of interest have been publicly identified.

Months before Lina vanished, her family brought her on a trip to their hometown in Afghanistan. While there, Lina and her mother happened to be just feet away from a suicide bombing that killed hundreds of people. Lina and her mother survived the attack and returned to San Antonio. The family - much like many other families - sought refuge and safety in the United States. They never imagined that the most traumatizing event of their lives would occur while living in Texas. 

Authorities have been baffled by Lina's disappearance. The FBI is now involved in the search. If you have any information that could lead to Lina's whereabouts, please submit a tip.

-
Sources:
ABC News
Charley Project
Crime Online
My San Antonio
New York Times