11-year-old Audrii Cunningham's mom says missing girl's backpack may have been found in search area

SAN JACINTO COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Investigators paused their search for 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham on Friday evening near the Lake Livingston Dam in San Jacinto County.

It's several miles from Audrii's home, but investigators won't say why they're searching the area other than calling it a "location of interest." It's one of several locations they said they searched on Friday.

"I'm being told that they have possibly found her backpack in this area, but no signs of her," Audrii's mother, Cassie Matthews, said.

Audrii was last seen around 7 a.m. Thursday on Lakeside Drive, not far from the home she shares with her father.

Neighbors say they usually see her walking to the bus stop with a dog, but that doesn't appear to have happened Thursday.

"She was allegedly dropped off at her bus stop, and later, on we come to learn that she never even made it on the bus," Matthews said.

Investigators won't say who Audrii was last seen with, saying it could compromise their investigation. But they say they have multiple persons of interest.

"There's additional information out there. We're just not releasing it. That's what the investigators are using to follow up on," Lt. Craig Cummings with the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

Cummings asked anyone who has information about Audrii's whereabouts to contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office at 936-327-6810.

"You're broken, you're mad, you're lost, you're empty, and right now, I'm empty," Matthews said.

Investigators said they'll resume their search for Audrii Saturday morning.

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