Missing, Endangered Century Teen Found Safe (With Exclusive Photos)

A missing and endangered Century teen was found safe and sound early Thursday morning, some seven hours after she was last seen.

Alia Wardell, 15, was reported to be missing and in great need of her medication Wednesday night. She was last seen about 6 p.m. walking into the First Baptist Church on Church Street — and that’s exactly where she was found hours later.

Dozens of people from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, a Century Correctional K-9 team, KlaasKIDS, Escambia Search and Rescue and numerous friends and family members were involved in the search for Wardell early Thursday morning. After a private citizen obtained a key to the church, a K-9 team from the Century Correctional Institution entered the building.

NorthEscambia.com was there was Wardell was located in a bathroom about 1:10 a.m. Family members said she suffers from a medical condition that sometimes causes her to suddenly fall asleep, and they believe she fell asleep in the bathroom before the lights were turned out and church was closed and locked for the night.

As word spread that Wardell had been located, family members and friends rushed toward the church, offering their praises and thanks that she was unharmed.

After posing for a photograph with the Century Correctional officers that found her, Wardell stepped outside the church were a small crowd had gathered.

“I want to thank everyone that helped find me,” she told an applauding crowd.

Pictured top: Alia Wendall (in white shirt), who had been reported missing and endangered, thanks dozens of people that searched for her Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Pictured below: Alia poses with her rescuers, Century CI K*9 team members (L-R) Jamie Sanders, Burley Townson and Kevin Reeves. Pictured below: ESAR’s command center was set up in Century and manned by volunteers. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.