Investigators search wooded area in connection with missing girl Lina Khil, SAPD says

San Antonio police and FBI are investigating a scene related to the disappearance of Lina Khil on the Northwest Side.

Officer Ricardo Guzman, a public information officer with SAPD, told KSAT they received a tip early Thursday that said there could be evidence related to the girl’s disappearance behind an apartment complex.

Investigators were seen with shovels and dogs about a mile away from where Khil was seen more than two years ago.

Guzman said officers and FBI agents will remain at the scene for the next few hours “until we’re confident so that we realize this is a legitimate tip or not.”

“This tip that we received, we treat serious, just like any other tip. As we have over the last two years, we do our due diligence and follow up on every tip,” Guzman said.

He added that it’s possible officers are searching for a body but did not disclose any details about the tip they received.

Khil was three years old when she was reported missing on Dec. 20, 2021. She was last seen at a playground at the Villas Del Cabo apartment complex in the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road, less than a mile away from Thursday’s scene. Her mother was nearby, just out of sight.

Crime scene investigators were searching a wooded area near apartment complexes at Wurzbach and Bluemel roads. This particular area has been searched before, Guzman said, but it’s “possibly a new lead that we could follow up on.”

Several SAPD units as well as a mobile crime unit were also at the scene.

Guzman did not specify the number of personnel at the scene or the size of the search.

Khil would be six years old on Feb. 20.

Search follows meeting between family, SAPD

Pamela Allen, a local child advocate who has been a liaison for the family after her disappearance, told KSAT that she was present at a meeting Wednesday evening between SAPD and Khil’s father.

The two-hour-long meeting preceded the search at the apartment complex.

Allen also posted about the meeting on Facebook Wednesday night.

“Today was a long, informative meeting with SAPD and FBI. The meeting encompassed information on behalf of the missing young girl from Afghanistan, Lina Sardar Khil who was abducted here in San Antonio. It was intense and still heart wrenching. Bottom line, we are not any closer to Lina’s discovery. As I sat next to Riaz, his frustration could be felt. There are just so many emotions that go through this families’ hearts. Unbelievable how one family could possess the courage that they have walking into each day without their child,” she wrote.

What we know about the search for Khil

Despite months of searches, rewards offered and national attention, investigators are still looking for clues to find her.

An age progression sketch released last year shows what she may look like now. Also in 2023, her father, Riaz, took a polygraph test in an effort to clear his name.

SAPD is still treating the girl’s disappearance as an active missing persons case and not an abduction.

Police Chief William McManus previously told KSAT there’s no video or evidence to suggest Khil was abducted.

On Thursday, Guzman said they have conducted multiple searches based on tips but did not say just exactly how many. He said not every tip is broadcast to the public, as it could hurt the investigation and cause false hope for the family.

“This is still a family matter. This is still personal to them. So no, we’re not broadcasting every single thing that we receive,” Guzman said. “Again, in this case, it’s just a public area, and that’s what we’re out here right now.”

In an email to KSAT on Thursday, the FBI said agents are continuing to work with SAPD on the case and following up “on every tip.”

“We have not forgotten Lina, and our hearts go out to her family and friends,” the statement continued.

Anyone with information is asked to contact SAPD at 210-224-7867 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $55,000 for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of any involvement in her disappearance.