HUBBARD Missing girls return safely

The girls were back in school this morning, their grandfather said.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HUBBARD -- The hunt for two girls over the weekend ended after several hours when they were located in a neighboring town.
The girls, Evita Burns, 9, and her sister Nicole, 8, were outside playing when they found themselves locked out of their Saul Drive home Saturday morning, said their grandfather, Gerald D. Burns Jr. Burns and his wife, Linda, have custody of the girls.
Burns said the girls knew he was in the house but decided to take a bike ride when they couldn't get back in. In the meantime, he and his wife each thought the other was aware of the girls' whereabouts but by 1:30 p.m. realized they were gone.
"They started riding around the neighborhood and strayed," he said. "They saw things they thought looked familiar, but then they were really lost."
Joining the search
Burns and his wife called police and started scouring the quiet residential neighborhood themselves. Before long, though, others joined the hunt.
"It was phenomenal," Burns said. "People were walking the streets, helping us look. People we didn't even know were looking for them. They said they just couldn't sit in their homes; they had to help."
Burns said extra police officers were called in, as were volunteer members of the fire department, to help with the hunt.
"They were out checking the woods behind the street, and looking in the creek we have back in here," he said.
When it started to get dark, about 7:30 p.m., Officer Lou Carsone advised the family to put out an Amber Alert on the girls. An Amber Alert is a nationwide system whereby police departments notify the public and other authorities of missing children.
The procedure was named after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bike in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The system started in 1996 and was made a national program earlier this year.
They got a call
"They were in the process of filling out the paperwork, when someone called us and asked if we were looking for two little girls," Burns said.
He said someone was driving on old state Route 62 in Masury when they saw the girls walking along the street.
"They said they looked out of place, so they stopped and talked to them," Burns said.
Evita and Nicole spoke with the concerned caller and began crying. They were able to give their grandparents' telephone number, and police retrieved them.
Other than being a little frightened, Burns said, the girls were fine. They were back in school this morning, he added.
Burns said there was no way to thank all who helped with the hunt, and he was relieved it all had a happy ending.
"It was the worst feeling in the world," he said. "I can't imagine how people deal with it if a child is taken and not returned. It's horrible.
"We were lucky," he continued. "It was amazing the way everyone pulled together. We're just lucky, because we had a lot of prayers going out for them. God was really watching them for us."
slshaulis@vindy.com