ISLE OF WIGHT — Missing 10-year-old Katelyn Clark from the Isle of Wight has been found. Clark was found with help from a concerned citizen.
"Katelyn Clark walked up to a residence on Vellines Lane and knocked on the door because she was hungry, tired and cold," Captain Thomas Potter said.
Captain Thomas Potter with the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office says the house 10-year old Katelyn Clark knocked on was 2 miles away from her house in Carrollton.
Missing Persons
Isle of Wight Co. Sheriff's Office says missing 10-year-old girl found safe
"Katelyn asked her if she had any odd jobs she could do because she needed to earn some money for some food," Potter said. "The lady immediately recognized her and invited her in until we got first responders out there."
Several different agencies searched for Katelyn by boat, drone and foot near her neighborhood.
Before Katelyn was found, the sheriff's office told News 3, that her parents say she was last seen on home surveillance video on Monday leaving her home at 6:30 a.m.
"We talked to Katelyn a little while this afternoon and said she left her residence," Potter said. "She went and started walking. She ended up on Vellines Lane. There was a vacant trailer there."
Potter said temperatures got extremely cold throughout Monday night.
"She went into the trailer and slept there last night and hung out there until the day, until she got extremely hungry," Potter said.
The sheriff’s office says Katelyn’s parents are relieved she was found safe. But Katelyn has not been released back into the custody of her parents. Social services has gotten involved.
"Katelyn spent some time with her parents this evening," Potter said. "They are actively having conversations with social services this evening. Katelyn will be released with supervision of the Isle of Wight department of social services pending the Sheriff’s office investigation into the circumstances that led Katelyn to leave her home."
Monday night, the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office says they executed a search warrant on Katelyn’s parent home, as part of their investigation.
Authorities still don’t know why Katelyn ran away from home and say their investigation in still ongoing.
Katelyn Clark was missing for over 24 hours. Multiple crews searched for her in the woods, water and skies using drones.
Off camera, News 3 spoke with Katelyn's dad. He said his daughter had a small purple purse with sparkles with her when she went missing. Crews looked for anything like that that could have belonged to Katelyn.
The Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office says Katelyn is home-schooled and an only child.
There was no report of her having a mental or psychological disability according to the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office.
Captain Tommy Potter said they didn't issue an Amber Alert for Katelyn because there was no indication that she had been kidnapped or was in danger.
Captain Potter said her parents told police that they had given Katelyn a talking-to the night before.
"They [Katelyn's parents] had to have some conversations with her about some attitude she had the day before," said Captain Potter. "It was some conversations they had but nothing to the level that would cause her to do something like this."
Katelyn's parents told police that she had never run away before, and that she would always stay close to home.
Stay with News 3 for updates.
