Police find missing girls safe

Published 7:00 am Thursday, April 3, 2014

Picayune Police officers Ricky Frierson, Jeremy Magri and Lane Pittman check Facebook responses to the missing person case. Jodi Marze | Picayune Item

Picayune Police officers Ricky Frierson, Jeremy Magri and Lane Pittman check Facebook responses to the missing person case.
Jodi Marze | Picayune Item

The search for two missing 14-year-old Picayune girls ended Wednesday at 11 a.m., when Terrell, Texas law enforcement officers located them through a partnership with the Picayune Police Department, said Chief Investigator Lane Pittman.

D’asialyn Goods and Aleigh Dedeaux were located with a 45-year-old male in Terrell Texas, on their way to Dallas, Texas, Pittman said.

The driver of the vehicle at the time of their location was identified as Acelawayne Howard Byrd, 45, of 4033 Stable Dr. in Palmdale, Calif., Pittman said.

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Byrd was arrested for charges currently undisclosed and further charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.

The search for the girls began on March 29, at 9:21 a.m., when Picayune officers met with Good’s mother who reported her daughter was missing, Pittman said.

Goods mother informed officers that her daughter had left on March 27 with her cousin Aleigh Dedeaux, Pittman said.

“D’asialyn’s younger sister told their mother that D’asialyn had told her to tell their mom that she was at a track meet,” Pittman said. “But it was later discovered that she had a bag of clothes and was seen getting into a gold car of unknown model with California tags. The witness said the car was driven by an unidentified black male believed to be the boyfriend of Dedeaux, who had also ran away but was not reported missing.”

Pittman said the community provided assistance by contacting law enforcement with information on the possible identity of the male driver. Wednesday morning Dedeaux’s mother reported to Picayune Housing Officer Rhonda Johnson that Dedeaux had contacted family to say that she was ok.

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Goods sent a text to family members stating she was in Terrell, Texas, heading towards Dallas, Texas and that she was riding in a vehicle with a black malee, Pittman said.

“We immediately contacted the law enforcement in Terrell, Texas and shortly after, both girls were located,” Pittman said.

Picayune Police Chief Bryan Dawsey said he would like to thank the community, along with the work of his detectives, patrolman and dispatchers for their part in the swift resolution to the missing person case, Pittman said.

“With the quick response of our men and women of the Picayune Police Department, upon receiving the information of her location and working with the law enforcement agencies in Texas, D’asialyn was able to be recovered and is with law enforcement officials at this time,” Dawsey said in a statement.

“We would also like to thank everyone who assisted in the sharing of the Facebook posts of D’asialyn, and in getting the information out to the public,” Dawsey continued. “This is what it takes to be an effective police department. You have to have your community stand with you to help bring resolution to the issues at hand and I’m proud to have a community like we have.”