San Francisco police on Thursday released new evidence and made an emotional plea to the public to help find a missing two-year-old whose mother was found dead and buried in a San Francisco park two weeks ago.
Investigators, including FBI agents, are currently investigating over 30,000 pieces of information to solve the case.
"It’s very rare to see a case like this,” SFPD Commander Greg McEachern said. “Hopefully anyone out there who has information on an innocent two-year-old will come forward and help bring her back home.”
Arianna Fitts' mother, Nicole Fitts, was last seen on April 1, when “she was summoned by a person known to her,” police said, without giving out any more information at a press conference they had called Thursday to release new evidence on the case.
Fitts, who worked at the Best Buy store on Harrison Street, is believed to have taken public transportation on the Third Street corridor around 9:45 p.m., wearing a bright blue Best Buy uniform shirt underneath her jacket.
Fitts wasn't reported missing until April 5.
Her family alerted police that her daughter was also missing around the same time.
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Fitts' body was found on the morning of April 8 by park employees at McLaren Park. The 32-year-old mother was found in a hastily-dug shallow grave, curled up in a fetal position and covered with a plywood board, police said.
"The plywood has markings on it we hope someone will recognize," McEachern said. "It is our belief that the person who buried her brought the board with them."
At Thursday's press conference, police displayed photos of the blue t-shirt, the hole in which Fitts was buried and the plywood they said was used to bury her.
Police have executed search warrants and seized evidence in Oakland, Emeryville and Daily City, all places where Arianna is believed to have been staying.
Arianna was last seen in February, and police said it was believed she was staying with friends of babysitters. Police have also interviewed several people in connection with the case but have yet to name any suspects or persons of interest in the case.
Police said that Arianna Fitts' family continues to believe that the little girl is still alive. "I will never be able to understand how anyone could be capable of hurting Nicki – she would do anything for her daughter, her family,” Nicole Fitts' sister Contessa said in a statement to San Francisco police Thursday. “Anyone who knows anything about her murder, or Arianna, please come forward ... That is what Nickie would want, for Arianna to be home with her family."
SFPD asking for help to ID logo spray painted on board used to bury Nicole Fitts in SF park https://t.co/SgvNzdebTJ pic.twitter.com/Td7bieKRkj — NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) April 21, 2016
