PINAL CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE

George Richard Horner III

Pinal County Sheriff Christopher Vasquez said a 6-year-old girl believed to have been abducted from her home in Maricopa by a sex offender has been found safe today.

The suspect, George Richard Horner III, 26, is still on the loose.

Horner is a registered sex offender in Louisiana.

Sheriff's Capt. Raymond Roerdink said the girl was taken about 8 a.m.

Police say the suspect was driving a 1993 teal green Nissan Pathfinder with Louisiana license plate PKL-399. He is believed to be headed to Lafayette, La.

The little girl is in police custody in the Casa Grande area. Horner reportedly released her in a residential neighborhood after hearing radio reports that police were looking for him.

Vasquez said the child was found walking in a neighborhood in Casa Grande, about 20 miles southeast of her home. A woman driving through the neighborhood saw the girl, picked her up and called authorities.

Horner is described as a white male, 5 feet 7 inches, 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.

Despite reports that Horner is the live-in boyfriend of the girl's mother, she said Horner is a friend of a friend.

Vasquez said a neighbor saw Horner drive off with the girl about 8 a.m. She was found about four and a half hours later.

The sheriff said the mother knew that Horner was going to head back to Louisiana today.

He said Horner had been arrested overnight by the Casa Grande police for investigation of a minor charge of drug possession. And he said Horner apparently was going to leave the state because of that.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.