Authorities in Broward County, Florida, are intensifying their search for 10-year-old Gabrielle Patricia Terrelonge, who has been missing since June — even as her mother, 34-year-old Passha Davis, sits behind bars on child neglect and related charges.
The case, now drawing the attention of both local law enforcement and the FBI, has shaken the South Florida community and raised growing fears about what might have happened to the bright, smiling fourth-grader last seen leaving a Walmart in Hollywood on June 21.
A Frantic Search, and Few Answers
According to the Miami Herald, detectives from multiple agencies say they’ve “exhausted all leads” in the months-long search for Gabrielle. The investigation was reignited when her biological father reported her missing on Oct. 29, after discovering that Davis — her sole custodian — had been in jail since Oct. 17 on unrelated charges of giving a false ID and resisting arrest without violence.
That revelation sparked alarm. When detectives questioned Davis at the Paul Rein Detention Facility, she allegedly claimed to have “no knowledge” of her daughter’s disappearance, insisting Gabrielle was with her father — a claim investigators say is not true.
The details are deeply unsettling. In his report, Margate Detective Antoine Kahlyl wrote that Davis “failed to provide any reasonable explanation as to the whereabouts of her minor child”, and that she had not provided “adequate services and supervision necessary to maintain her physical and mental health.”
A Troubled Background
Family members told police that Davis had long struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues and was considered homeless at the time of her arrest. While she has been Gabrielle’s sole custodian since birth, relatives say they haven’t seen the child since December 2024, raising concerns that she may have been missing far longer than initially believed.
Davis remains in custody on a $100,000 bond, as the search for her daughter continues.
Gabrielle is described as 4 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 100 pounds, with shoulder-length hair. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, black pants, and white Crocs — a detail that now haunts both family members and investigators as the months drag on without a sighting.
A Community on Edge
The emotional toll on the community has been palpable. Across social media, locals have shared Gabrielle’s photo under the hashtag #FindGabrielle, pleading for information or clues that could bring her home.
“This little girl didn’t just vanish,” one commenter wrote. “Somebody knows something.”
It’s a painful echo of too many missing children’s cases — where poverty, unstable home lives, and bureaucratic blind spots intersect to create tragedy. Broward County, like much of South Florida, has seen a rise in neglect-related cases, many involving parents struggling with addiction, housing instability, and systemic failures that leave children vulnerable.
Authorities: “Every Tip Matters”
Despite limited leads, the FBI’s Miami field office and the Margate Police Department continue to urge the public to come forward with any information.
“At this moment, the whereabouts of Gabrielle remain unknown, despite law enforcement exhausting all family members, locations, associations and areas known to her,” Detective Kahlyl noted in his report.
Officials say every tip — no matter how small — could make the difference in finding her.
Anyone with information about Gabrielle Terrelonge’s disappearance is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit information at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can also be directed to the Margate Police Department at 954-972-7111.
The System That Fails the Forgotten
Gabrielle’s story underscores a troubling truth: children can disappear long before anyone notices. Her father didn’t realize she was missing for months, and the system — strained by caseloads, funding gaps, and fractured family structures — didn’t notice either.
When a 10-year-old vanishes without a trace, and her mother sits silent behind bars, the tragedy is not only personal — it’s systemic. Somewhere between custody filings, jail records, and social service reports, a little girl was lost.
Now, the question that remains for Broward County — and for all of us — is whether she can still be found.
