Police look for missing NC girl, question parents

[October 11, 2010]  HICKORY, N.C. (AP) -- A hearing-impaired North Carolina girl with a prosthetic leg disappeared over the weekend, and police were questioning the 10-year-old's parents as they collected surveillance video from businesses near the family's home and used dogs to search the neighborhood.

The girl's stepmother was arrested on about a dozen charges unrelated to the disappearance of Zahra Clare Baker, who was reported missing by her parents, Elisa and Adam Baker, on Saturday afternoon in Hickory in western North Carolina.

Zahra's stepmother said she last saw her daughter sleeping at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. She was reported missing about 12 hours later, police said.

Zahra uses hearing aids in both ears and has a prosthetic left leg from the knee down. She doesn't have her hearing aids with her, police said.

"We are using every available resource we have at our disposal to find Zahra. We are not giving up hope that Zahra will return home safe and sound," Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins said.

Elisa Baker was arrested Sunday on charges including communicating threats, writing worthless checks, larceny and driving with a revoked license.

It was unclear whether she has an attorney. There was no telephone listing for the Bakers.

Hickory, a city of 40,000 residents, is about 50 miles north-northwest of Charlotte.

[Associated Press]

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