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Police: Body of missing Leesburg girl found in pond

LEESBURG, Fla. — Leesburg police said they’ve recovered the body of a girl matching the description of a 12-year-old with autism who was reported missing Friday evening.

Police said 12-year-old Beyonce Reddick was last seen in front of Leesburg Regional Medical Center around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

The girl is autistic and has the mental capacity of a 6-year-old.

Leesburg police, along with air support from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, initially searched through the girl’s neighborhood.

A Sheriff’s Office bloodhound tracked the girl’s scent from her home to a pond outside of the Leesburg Regional Medical Center.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office dive team searched the pond late Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning, where they recovered the body of a young female matching Reddick’s description.

Reddick’s family has been notified and is assisting Leesburg police with positively identifying the body.

The investigating into the incident is ongoing.