Police in south Texas are investigating after a missing 8-year-old girl was found dead over the weekend in a pool pipe at a Houston-area hotel.
A Houston Police Department spokesperson confirmed the girl died Saturday at the DoubleTree Hotel on the city’s northwest side. The hotel is on U.S. Highway 290 about 14 miles from downtown Houston.
Officers responded to the location about 5:45 p.m. Saturday after the family reported the child missing.
According to a news release from police, homicide division detectives reported that before she died, the girl had been swimming with her family in “a lazy river style swimming pool” at the hotel.
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Girl’s body found inside large pipe in the pool area
Later that day, about 11:30 p.m., police said, the girl’s body was found “inside a large pipe in the pool area.”
Local KTRK -TV reported her body was found after a search crew reviewed security footage and watched her go under and not resurface.
The outlet reported the search crew drained the pool, sent a camera about 20 feet into one of the pool’s pipes and found the girl’s body.
Arriving paramedics, police said, pronounced the girl dead at the scene.
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Girl who drowned identified as Aliyah Jaico
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science identified the girl as Aliyah Jaico.
According to the office, Aliyah’s preliminary cause of death was “drowning and mechanical asphyxia,” and her death appeared to be the result of an accident.
Police said officers were awaiting official autopsy results.
Anyone with information about the drowning was asked to contact Houston police.
The case remained under investigation on Monday.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
