Authorities are asking anyone who has information on the case to call SAPD Missing Person’s Unit at 210-207-7660 or Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.
Sunday marked two months since Lina Sardar Khil mysteriously disappeared from a San Antonio, Texas playground. The reward leading to her safe return has increased to $250,000, authorities said.
The Islamic Center of San Antonio announced on Sunday the reward money had increased to $200,000. The reward initially started at $10,000 and then was raised to $100,000.
“Everyone please join us in praying for Lina’s safe return to her family,” the center posted on their Twitter page with photos of the young girl.
San Antonio CrimeStoppers also offered a “guaranteed $50,000 rewards for this case only, for information resulting in the arrest or indictment of a suspect accused of any involvement," in Lina's disappearance.
Lina was last seen on Dec. 20, 2021 between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the playground with her mother and other children at Villas Del Cabo apartment complex located in the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road. When Lina’s mother left the girl's side briefly, she was gone, according to the San Antonio Police.
At 7:15 p.m. that evening, the family reported her missing and an Amber Alert was issued.
Since Lina's disappearance, the police have been searching on foot and by air, and have been using K9 assistance. Part of their effort has been going door to door, to each of the 300 apartment units in the complex.
FBI underwater search and evidence response teams joined the search in finding Lina in January.
The police chief said they are still trying the case as a missing person case, not an abduction. And, although the Amber Alert was suspended, they are continuing to follow up on leads and actively search for the young girl.
“We want to once again reassure the family of Lina Sardar Khil and the community that our investigation and search for Lina has not stopped,” San Antonio Police said in a statement on Facebook on Jan. 27.
On Sunday, Lina would have turned four years old. A birthday celebration was held at the apartment building where her family lives, News4SA reported.
Lina's family had moved to Texas from Afghanistan in 2019 on an SVI, a special immigration visa, according to a previous news report. The family, who speaks Pashto, has been working with an interpreter.
Two days after his daughter went missing, Lina's father created a GoFundMe to help find his daughter.
“I am a U.S. Military ally and have escaped Afghanistan in a quest to raise my kids in a safer environment. On December the 20th, my daughter, Lina went missing while walking out of the playground in San Antonio Texas. My family and I are devastated by this tragic incident,” Riaz wrote.
He added: “We are reaching out to people like you to help us with this fundraising to help my family in this hard time. Anything that you can chip in will help find my beautiful daughter Lina and get us through this hard time.”
To date, the fundraiser has raised $5,000 towards their goal of $50,000.
Lina is 4 feet tall and weighs 55 pounds. She has brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair that was in a ponytail when she vanished, according to a handout.
She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a red dress and black shoes.
Authorities are asking anyone who has information on the case to call SAPD Missing Person’s Unit at 210-207-7660 or Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.
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