Anastasia Mason, a 1-year-old reported missing from Pensacola on Dec. 2, was located in Uriah, Alabama, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said on Jan. 15. Her mother, Jami Makala Owens, 30, was arrested after the child was found, though authorities have not disclosed specific charges. Deputies had previously responded to a Pensacola hotel where they found Owens appearing to suffer an overdose and discovered narcotics in a room where Anastasia had been. The Florida Department of Children and Families opened an investigation after the family was unaccounted for following the hotel incident.
1-Year-Old Located in Alabama More Than a Month After Disappearing in Florida; Mother Arrested
Escambia County Sheriff's Office/Facebook1-yearold Anastasia with her father Thomas Mason
A 1-year-old girl reported missing from Pensacola, Florida, on Dec. 2 has been located in Uriah, Alabama, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) said in an update on Jan. 15. Authorities confirmed the child, identified as Anastasia Mason, was "safely located," but provided few additional details about where or how she was found.
What Happened
Anastasia was first reported missing on Dec. 2 after being last seen with her parents in Pensacola. Her mother, Jami Makala Owens, 30, and her father, Thomas Zachariah Mason, 36, were both associated with the child at the time she was reported missing.
Escambia County Sheriff's Office/FacebookJami Owens
Hotel Incident and Investigation
Local outlets including WFLA and North Escambia, citing ECSO reports, say deputies responded in December to a Pensacola hotel after a call about a possible overdose. Officers found Owens in the hotel lobby appearing to be in medical distress and located Anastasia inside a hotel room with a man. Deputies reported finding a quantity of narcotics in that room.
Owens was transported to a hospital for treatment. While she was being treated, Anastasia could not be located. Police later executed an arrest warrant for Owens, but reports say she had been released from the hospital by the time officers arrived. With the child and both parents unaccounted for after the hotel incident, the Florida Department of Children and Families opened an investigation.
Escambia County Sheriff's Office/FacebookThomas Zachariah Mason.
Arrest and Current Status
Following Anastasia’s recovery in Alabama, ECSO confirmed Owens was arrested, though the agency did not specify charges. Media reports indicate Owens had two outstanding warrants before the child was found, reportedly for alleged child abuse and petty theft. The ECSO posted mugshots of both Owens and Mason on Facebook, but it was not immediately clear whether Mason was arrested or charged. As of Jan. 17, neither parent appeared in ECSO inmate records, and the department had not provided additional public comment.
“We think that there’s a possibility that the child’s still with the father, but quite frankly, we don’t know where the child is at this point, and we really want to get the child for that assessment,” Sheriff Chip Simmons told WFLA during the search prior to Anastasia being found.
Authorities have not released further information about the circumstances of Anastasia’s discovery in Uriah, Ala., nor about any pending charges. The ECSO did not respond to a request for additional comment as of Jan. 17.
Sources: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office update, WFLA, North Escambia.
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