Missing S. Jersey girl found safe

Brittany Snodgrass, 13, who was reported missing yesterday from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, has been found unharmed.

Snodgrass had been last seen getting off a school bus on Ash Street, which is on the base.

The base said she was located at about 11 a.m. today near the New Jersey State Police Red Lion barracks in Southampton. A driver called the barracks to report a young girl walking along Route 206.

She is in good health and with her family, authorities said.

Her mother posted on the base's Facebook page earlier:

"I am her mother and I want to thank the police officers and everybody who came out and search for her last night, and for all your prayers," the mother wrote. "Please keep your eyes open."

Base officials say they first responded to a report of a missing child near the base's housing area. Emergency responders organized a search team, coordinating with local, state and federal authorities, as well as civilian volunteers.

The search started about 9 p.m. Wednesday, and included a door-to-door search of the base housing area. That stopped at midnight.

Sgt. David Carbajal, a base spokesman, said that was one of two searches started last night.  The door-to-door operation was carried out mostly be volunteers, he said.  Separately, military police conducted another search, that might have included the surrounding area.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is in a mostly rural area, and sprawls across Burlington and Ocean Counties, at points, it is surrounded by thick woods in the New Jersey pine barrens.