SEFFNER, Fla. β A grandmother has been arrested after her 3-year-old granddaughter disappeared for close to two days, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
Shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday, deputies released information that 3-year-old Sophia Lovinggood had been missing since Monday and was considered endangered. She had last been seen with her grandmother, Veronica Lovinggood, at a Walmart located at E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Seffner.
According to deputies, on the day they both disappeared, Veronica contacted Sophia's mother to say they were on the way to bring the 3-year-old back home. But they never arrived.
Just before 6 a.m. Wednesday, deputies said Sophia had been found safe and was back home.
Later, the sheriff's office said Veronica Lovinggood was arrested and in custody. Lovinggood's charges were not immediately released and 10 Tampa Bay has reached out for clarification.
During the time Sophia was missing, deputies said the 3-year-old was last seen wearing a light green dress with spaghetti straps, a full-length denim jacket and purple flower slides. Her hair was reportedly styled in four braids. She has a birthmark on her right shoulder and a scar on her left shoulder, deputies added.
Those who might have seen Sophia or her grandmother were asked to "immediately" call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.
"Our top priority is the safe return of this young child," Sheriff Chad Chronister previously said in a statement. "We are working diligently to locate this little girl, and we urge anyone with information to come forward and assist us in bringing her home safely."