Reward offered in case of missing Bootheel girl

SENATH, Mo. (AP) -- Authorities in the southeast Missouri town of Kennett hope $45,000 in reward money will help them find a 3-year-old girl who last seen over the weekend riding her bike in front of her home.

The FBI said Tuesday it is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads them to Breeann Rodriguez. The Senath Marshal's office is offering $20,000.

Police told the Kennett Daily Dunklin Democrat that neighbors did not notice anyone suspicious in the area on Saturday, which was the last time Breeann was seen. The 30-pound girl was wearing a pink top, and pink and purple pants.

At least 200 people searched for her over the weekend, joining police from several agencies, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.

At a news conference on Monday, FBI agent Dennis Baker said authorities are searching by air, water and land, and are using dogs to try and find the girl.

The child's parents appeared at the news conference and issued a statement pleading for their daughter's safe return.

"We just want everybody that can to help me and find my daughter," Breeann's mother, Claudia Ramos, said. "I really want to hold her and tell her that she is my princess. Please, if somebody has her, bring her back to me."

Breeann's father, Edgar Rodriguez, said he just wants his daughter back.

"I don't care if you drop her off somewhere where somebody can get ahold of here. I don't have anything against anybody. I realize that people make mistakes and I don't care where you drop her off at, just make sure somebody can get ahold of her and bring her home," he said.

Town Marshal Omar Karnes said there was no new evidence indicating Breeann had been abducted. He said the FBI gets involved in cases when young children go missing.

"It is our presumption, in this case, with a child missing like this, that there is an abduction," Baker said. "There is also the possibility that the child could have wandered off, could be lost. That is a possibility. We are pursuing everything. We do have a presumption that the chances are that the child has been abducted."

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Information from: Daily Dunklin Democrat, http://www.dddnews.com