The family of a toddler missing in San Antonio, Texas, is holding onto their faith as the search for their daughter continues.
Lina Sardar Khil was playing in the apartment playground, just a few feet from her family's front door at the Villas del Cabo apartments, when she vanished. The apartment complex is where Lina, her younger brother, and her parents have lived among a community of fellow Afghans who enjoy life in the United States while keeping close ties to their cultural and religious identity.
Like many immigrant families, Lina's parents, who are currently expecting a third child, came to this country with hopes for a better future for their children. Now they hope for a future where little Lina is brought home to them.
Riaz Sardar Khil and his family fled Afghanistan in search of a better life over two years ago. There, they faced violence for their support of US troops.
They bounced around for a bit before settling in San Antonio among a community of fellow Afghans from their home province of Khost, at the Villas del Cabo apartments on the northwest side. There, they finally enjoyed the feeling of safety and security as they began living life in the United States while still maintaining ties to their culture and religion.
Sadly, their feeling of safety was shattered on December 20, 2021, when Khil's 3-year-old daughter, Lina, disappeared out of an apartment complex park just feet from the family's front door. That day, the Khils were preparing for dinner and a party at Khil's brother-in-law's home that evening. The mood was festive, as Khil and his wife, who has asked to have her identity protected, recently learned they're expecting a third child.
Khil was at a friend's home a mile away when his wife called, telling him she couldn't find Lina. The 3-year-old had been playing with other kids in the park area. Her mother "took her eyes off her for a short period of time and was unable to find her again," per Express News.
Her mother had been watching as Lina and a group of friends ran back and forth from a spot that was partially obstructed from her mom's sight. When Lina didn't run back with her friends after a few minutes, her mother went looking for her, but Lina was nowhere to be found.
Khil returned home and reassured his wife that it was likely that a neighbor invited Lina inside to play with neighboring kids, which was common.
"When nobody called and said, 'I have Lina,' then I thought that someone must have abducted or kidnapped her," Khil explained. He called 911 and reported her missing.
The situation has been hard on the family, especially considering Lina escaped death just this past summer. She and her mother went back to Afghanistan to help a relative and were outside Kabul Airport when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt that killed over 180 people. Lina was knocked unconscious by the blast but ultimately recovered.
Authorities sent out an Amber Alert with Lina's details, but it was canceled on January 7. Though it was canceled, the search effort continues, and the FBI has joined in. The elite 12-member FBI Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team was flown to San Antonio to search local bodies of water while following a lead, though nothing was recovered.
Khil has recently shared a photo of Lina taken on the day she went missing. The 3-year-old was wearing a red dress with a black jacket. She also wore a number of pieces of jewelry, including blue and gold bracelets on each arm, gold earrings, and a taweez, an article that has verses from the Quran worn around the neck.
"These are all the articles that she was wearing on the day that she disappeared. She's also in the red dress with the decorations on the front," shared Pamela Allen, family representative and president of Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, a local nonprofit that supports families experiencing crisis and trauma. They are one of several local organizations assisting in the search.
"That is the exact dress that she was wearing on the day that she disappeared," Allen said. "She did have on a black jacket that her mother said she put on her because she didn't want her to be cold."
Riaz Khil, his wife, and Lina's little brother are holding out hope that she will return home safely. Their hope is she will be home by her fourth birthday, on February 20.
"We believe someone has her," Allen shared.
"And so that this is what the family believes — that someone has their daughter and hopefully keeping her alive."
"They stand on their faith to get them through these days," she added.
"Her father is just relentless in the searches and trying to help us, and he's made it perfectly clear that he wants his baby home, he needs his baby home, and that he loves his little girl so much."
The Islamic Center of San Antonio is offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who can help find Lina. Additionally, Crime Stoppers of San Antonio has offered $50,000 for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect connected to Lina's disappearance. Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Antonio Police Department's Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660 or Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.
