• Girl, 6, went missing after getting off her school bus
• Estates at Crystal Bay residents helped with the search
• Read a timeline of events

Mèsi, mèsi, mèsi.

That’s all a mother could say in her native Creole when she and her loved ones returned to their apartment — a no-longer-missing girl in tow.

The child was still wearing her pink puffy jacket police alerted as a descriptor in her disappearance hours earlier.

As the family walked away, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police began to pack up their K-9 units and squad cars left the complex for the next call. The chaos and fear felt moments earlier subsided.

But neighbors within the northwest side Estates at Crystal Bay complex who also helped search for Catalina Lubin — the 6-year-old who went missing after getting off her Washington Township school bus — remained.

“I mean we all came running,” Shanta Lewis told IndyStar. “I came outside and my mother instincts kicked in. I was banging on every door where I know little girls her age be.”

Lewis said about a dozen adults searched alongside law enforcement.

Relieved Lubin was found, Lewis hugged the mother and tried to communicate through English-speaking family members that she was available if they ever needed her.

Lewis remained puzzled by what happened during the time that Lubin was missing. The girl was last seen getting off the bus at about 2:45 p.m., but wouldn’t be found for six hours. Police have provided no details about where the girl was during that time.

Catalina Lubin, 6, missing inside Estates at Crystal Bay apartment complex

More: Catalina Lubin: Missing Indianapolis girl found safe

Lubin is a first grader at MSD Washington Township’s Spring Mill Elementary School.

Washington Township spokesperson, Ellen Rogers, told IndyStar that Lubin got off the school bus at her regular time and was last seen within her apartment community.

In the call out for the public’s help, police said Lubin was last seen getting on the bus at Spring Mill Elementary, raising questions about how she could be lost. Police later announced she’d exited the bus at the complex.

Lewis said her 11-year-old son got off the bus at the same time as Lubin.

“My son has been going to that school since he was seven and our bus driver knows us and our kids,” Lewis said, ”I’ve even seen the driver tell young kids to stay on the bus if there’s not an adult outside.”

Usually, Lewis said, Lubin leaves the bus stop with another girl or a woman waiting for her.

Lewis said there are two bus stops in the large complex and wondered why Lubin didn’t get off at the stop closest to her home.

The complex has 432 apartments that span roughly 40 acres. Lewis would often see the girl walk across a large field between apartment buildings to get to her home.

According to the search team, Lubin was found walking along a road in the neighborhood. She told police that she was at a friend’s house playing after school.

Lewis said the language barrier had been tough to communicate with the family, but the gratitude is universal.

“They all work together around here,” Lewis said. “We stick together. So I just hugged the family … It’s a village around my part of the complex.”

Police have not said if anyone could face charges in her disappearance.

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Timeline of Lubin’s disappearance

2:45 p.m. Lubin gets off the school bus at her apartment complex. She wouldn’t be reported missing to police for six hours.

6:45 p.m. Police send out media blasts asking for the public’s help finding Lubin. They are unaware she got off the bus at this point and say she was last seen getting on the bus leaving Spring Mill Elementary.

7:05 p.m. After Lubin was reported missing, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police asked Speedway & Washington Township School police to assist with the search, police told IndyStar at the scene.

8 p.m. Police at the scene told IndyStar said they began knocking on doors and searching for the child.

8:16 p.m. The department announced IMPD’s Emergency Response Group was en route to search the area for Catalina.

8:25 p.m. Police had the school district send out an alert to parents on the ParentSquare portal. Rogers said the school district sent an evening message to both Spring Mill Elementary families and their staff. 


8:42 p.m. A silver alert was announced for Lubin and minutes later police announced she was located.

Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formally Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.