Southwest
Audrii Cunningham disappearance: Texas babysitter with criminal record named as person of interest
The Texas man named as a person of interest in connection with the disappearance Audrii Cunningham babysat the 11-year-old girl, according to local reports.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) Southeast Region on Saturday named Don Steven McDougal, 42, as a person of interest in the girl’s disappearance, and Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him on Feb. 16 on unrelated charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Audrii’s mother, Cassie Matthews, told FOX 26 Houston that she believed McDougal was friends with Audrii’s father and would babysit the 11-year-old girl while he was staying at her father’s home.
Audrii has been missing since the morning of Feb. 15, when she was last seen at her residence in the 100 block of Lakeside Drive, in Polk County, Texas.
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Don Steven McDougal was named as a person of interest in connection with the Feb. 15 disappearance of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham of Polk County, Texas. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office/ TDPS)
The 11-year-old girl “should have caught the school bus at her neighborhood bus stop; however, school officials reported to the Sheriff’s Office that the school bus did not pick Audrii up, nor did she report to school,” Polk County authorities said in a press release.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued on Feb. 16.
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Texas authorities issued a statewide Amber Alert for Audrii Cunningham on Feb. 17. (Facebook/ Joshua Cunningham)
While McDougal has not been charged in Audrii’s disappearance, investigators believe there may be foul play, according to FOX 26.
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Video footage obtained by FOX 26 shows McDougal in Livingston on Feb. 16 prior to his arrest.
The 42-year-old has an extensive criminal history dating back to the early 2000s. His charges range from enticement of a child in Brazoria County in 2008 to assault of a family member and evading arrest in Liberty County, among dozens of other crimes.
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Don Steven McDougal has a lengthy criminal record dating back to the early 2000s. (Liberty County)
Authorities located McDougla’s dark blue 2003 Chevrolet Suburban, which they believe was involved in Audrii’s disappearance.
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The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said a backpack likely belonging to Audrii was located near the Lake Livingston Dam on Feb. 16.
Audrii Cunningham was supposed to get on her school bus on Feb. 15 but never made it, authorities said. (Polk County sheriff)
“This investigation remains active and ongoing. If you have any information related to the disappe[arance] of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office,” TDPS Southeast said in a Feb. 17 Facebook post.
Don Steven McDougal was convicted of enticement of a child in 2008. (Facebook)
Polk County officials described Audrii as a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes, weighing 75 lbs. and standing approximately 4 ft., 1 in. tall. She was last seen wearing black pants, a black hoodie with white letter and black high-tip shoes with a bright red “Hello Kitty” backpack.
Authorities are offering a $7,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in Audrii’s disappearance.
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A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
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Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. The alleged gunman is circled. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Video obtained exclusively by KTLA shows the terrifying moment a road rage suspect opened fire the driver of another car on the 5 Freeway in Los Angeles, fatally wounding him and seriously injuring a passenger, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Credit: @hugoboss01) -
Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, was arrested and extradited to the U.S. from Mexico on June 2, 2026, in connection with a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles. (California Highway Patrol)
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
The northbound 405 Freeway will remain closed for several hours near Los Angeles International Airport after a police pursuit ended with officers opening fire Friday morning. Unconfirmed reports indicated the incident began with a robbery at a 7-Eleven store, which ended with Los Angeles Police Department officers pursuing the suspect in a Kia. The chase […]
The victim in a bizarre and deadly stabbing in Tarzana has been identified as 81-year-old character actor James Handy, best known for a recent role in Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” The stabbing happened around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 19200 block of Erwin Street in the West Valley area. Officers responded after receiving a […]
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