GLENDALE, AZ (CBS5) -
Glendale police have concluded the first phase of their hunt for a missing Glendale 5-year-old.
Officers on Thursday night closed down their command post near the apartment complex near where Jahessye Shockley was last seen. The finished a coordinated grid search of the area without finding the child.
Glendale police on Wednesday issued an Amber Alert for Jahessye Shockley after her mother reported her missing Tuesday evening when she discovered the child was not with her siblings at her family's home in the Autumn Leaves Apartment complex near 6800 N. 45th Ave. She was last seen between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Officers said a lot of what happens from here on out in the investigation will be behind the scenes.
Sources tell CBS 5 Jahessye Shockley's mom was arrested for inflicting injury on a child in California back in 2006. Sources also tell CBS 5 reporter Donna Rossi that Jahessye's father is a registered sex offender serving time in a California prison.
Police said the mother's story is solid and that she and the family continue to cooperate. The father is not in the picture and they have ruled him out.
Police said a 25- to 35-year-old African-American woman driving a 1998-2000 Chevrolet Malibu was seen in the area with a child fitting the description of Shockley.
Sgt. Brent Coombs said searchers canvassed an area roughly three square miles from 51st to 39th avenues and between Glendale Avenue and Bethany Home Road beginning Thursday morning.
He said police searched through Wednesday night for the girl, acting on more than two dozen tips, most of which involved sightings of black cars.
Coombs said volunteers helped distribute fliers in the area.
Latoya Hubbard started showing the fliers to passers-by at the corner of Glendale and 43rd avenues about 8:45 Thursday morning.
She said she did not know the family, but is a parent herself, and wanted to stress the importance of parents keeping an eye on their children.
Hubbard said she didn't know how long she would stay at the corner because the heat, which was expected to reach the upper 90s, was beginning to take its toll just before noon.
Coombs emphasized the fact that despite the Amber Alert, police did not have anything indicating foul play in the child's disappearance, and that police still think there is a good chance Shockley will be found alive.
Coombs asked the public to be extremely vigilant in their day-to-day activities, and to report anything suspicious.
A half-dozen search dogs were also being used, Coombs said.
Glendale police ask persons with any information related to this case to contact them at 623-930-3000.
Shockley is black and has long black hair with a ponytail. She is described as about 3'5" tall and weighs 55 pounds. She was last seen wearing a solid white T-shirt and jeans.
Officer Tracey Breeden said the girl's mother left the home for about 30 minutes and left the child and other children in the care of a 13-year-old sibling.
When her mother arrived home and found her child missing, she immediately called Glendale police.
Stay with KPHO.com and CBS 5 for the latest on this developing story.
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Jahessye Shockley
Volunteer Latoya Hubbard / Photo: Mike Harris, CBS 5 News
Kraig Stern / CBS 5 News: Autumn Leaves Apartments
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