Sandy MaloneCayce, SC – A six-year-old girl who vanished after she got home from Springdale Elementary School on Monday was still missing on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said Faye Swetlik was last seen getting off the school bus and playing in her yard on Londonderry Lane in Cayce, off Highway 302, on Feb. 10, WYFF reported.
Cayce Department of Public Safety (DPS) Sergeant Evan Antley said Faye’s parents confirmed the first grader did arrive home after she got off the bus.
Cayce DPS Chief Byron Snellgrove said Faye’s mother was in the home when her daughter got home from school, WLTX reported.
She noticed Faye was missing at about 3:45 p.m., according to WYFF.
Police said the family contacted them about the missing little girl shortly before 5 p.m. on Monday.
Faye was last seen wearing a black shirt with the word “PEACE” written in neon colors with a flowered skirt and polka dot boots, WYFF reported.
The six-year-old has a noticeable speech impediment.
Over 300 members of law enforcement, family, and volunteers have been actively searching the Churchill Heights area for Faye since Monday, WSOC reported.
Sgt. Antley told reporters on Wednesday that the authorities were expanding the search area for the missing child beyond her neighborhood and even as far as the highway, WYFF reported.
Chief Snellgrove said he has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for assistance and that agents had joined the search, WLTX reported.
Police have asked people in the area with Ring doorbell cameras to check their footage for clues about the little girl’s disappearance.
Investigators said there was a great response to the request and they’re reviewing lots of videos in their search for leads, WLTX reported.
Faye’s grandmother, Ruth Collins, spoke publicly at a prayer vigil for her granddaughter on Tuesday night.
“I want my baby back,” Collins said. “We’ve got to find her.”
Everyone has described the missing child as “bubbly,” WLTX reported.
“Faye is a bubbly, energetic,” Chief Snellgrove told reporters. “Faye’s teacher loves her, Faye’s SRO loves her, Faye’s classmates love her. When she walks into a room she brightens it up. Everybody loves Faye.”
Collins and family friend Monica Foutz said the first grader like to collect rocks and take selfies with her family and friends, according to WLTX.
“She’s fun, bubbly, loves to color, always has a smile on her face and the prettiest blue eyes you’ve ever seen,” says Foutz. “A smile that would melt your heart.”
Police have not yet issued an Amber Alert for the missing child because the alert requires that there be evidence there has been an abduction and the investigation hasn’t yet determined that.