At a Glance
- Anastasia Mason, 1, was located safely in Uriah, Alabama on January 15 after vanishing from Pensacola, Florida on December 2.
- Mother Jami Makala Owens, 30, was arrested; father Thomas Zachariah Mason, 36, was named in initial alerts.
- The infant disappeared after police found Owens possibly overdosing in a hotel lobby and could not locate the child.
- Why it matters: The case highlights how quickly custody situations can turn into multi-state missing-person investigations.
A 1-year-old Florida girl who vanished more than six weeks ago has been found alive in rural Alabama, ending an interstate search that began when her mother was discovered apparently overdosing in a Pensacola hotel.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) announced on Thursday, January 15, that Anastasia Mason had been “safely located” in Uriah, Ala., offering no additional details about the circumstances of her disappearance or recovery.
The child was reported missing on December 2 after she was last seen with both parents-Thomas Zachariah Mason, 36, and Jami Makala Owens, 30-in Pensacola, according to the ECSO news release posted on Facebook.
Mother Arrested After Child Located
Owens was taken into custody once Anastasia was found, the ECSO confirmed. The agency did not specify the charges, but Tampa NBC affiliate WFLA previously reported that Owens had two active outstanding warrants for child abuse and petty theft.
The sheriff’s office included Owens’ mugshot in its Facebook update. A photo of Mason was also posted, yet it remains unclear whether he has been arrested or faces any charges. A check of the ECSO online inmate roster on January 17 shows neither parent currently listed, and authorities have not indicated whether either has retained legal counsel.
Hotel Incident Preceded Disappearance
The timeline leading to Anastasia’s disappearance began when deputies responded to a call about an individual “potentially suffering from an overdose” at a Pensacola hotel in early December.
“We get there, and it’s actually the mother of the one-year-old,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons told WFLA.
Inside the hotel, officers located Anastasia with an unidentified man and noted “a quantity of narcotics” in the room. Owens was transported to a local hospital for treatment. While she was hospitalized, the child went missing.
Investigators later secured an arrest warrant for Owens, but she had already been released from medical care by the time they returned, according to North Escambia, a local news site.
Custody Questions and Multi-Agency Search
Authorities believe Mason-who shares joint custody with Owens-may have removed Anastasia from the hotel, though officials conceded they had no confirmed sightings after the hotel encounter.
“We think that there’s a possibility that the child’s still with the father, but quite frankly, we don’t know where the child is at this point, and we really want to get the child for that assessment,” Sheriff Simmons told WFLA in December, before the girl was found.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) opened an investigation once it became clear both parents and the child were unaccounted for.
Community Reaction and Next Steps
The ECSO did not respond to a request for comment from News Of Losangeles on January 17, and the agency has not released any information on where Anastasia had been during the 43-day span or what condition she was in when recovered.
No court dates or formal charges had been publicly listed as of the latest update, leaving neighbors and relatives awaiting further details about both the criminal case and the toddler’s well-being.
Authorities have urged anyone with additional information to contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office or Alabama’s Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, which assisted in the safe recovery.
Key Takeaways
- Timeline: Reported missing December 2, found January 15-43 days later.
- Location: Last seen Pensacola, Florida; discovered Uriah, Alabama.
- Legal Status: Mother arrested; father’s status undisclosed.
- Investigation: Opened by ECSO, supported by DCF and Alabama authorities.
- Current Unknowns: Exact whereabouts during disappearance, formal charges, custody arrangements moving forward.
