PEARLAND – Police say a 7-year-old girl who was reported missing Wednesday morning was later found deceased in a nearby retention pond.

According to the Pearland Police Department, officers responded around 9:40 a.m. on March 11 to the 2000 block of Sunset Springs Drive after receiving a report of a missing child. The girl, identified as Skylar Hopson, was described as a nonverbal autistic child who was believed to have left the house on foot with her iPad.

Police said multiple resources were used during the search, including drones, K9 units, search teams, and a helicopter from the Houston Police Department.

K9 teams tracked the child’s scent to a nearby retention pond, which police said matched location pings from the child’s iPad.

At approximately 2:45 p.m., with assistance from the Houston Dive Team, Hopson was recovered from the pond and confirmed deceased at the scene.

Pearland police said the department is devastated by the outcome and extended condolences to the child’s family.

Officials also thanked local resources, including TEXSAR and AlphaSAR and their K9 teams, along with Pearland residents who assisted in search and surveillance efforts.