$250,000 reward offered for missing California girl whose mother was found murdered

(KTLA) – Authorities are offering a $250,000 reward for information about a missing girl whose mother was found murdered in San Francisco in 2016.

missing girl Ariana Fittsnow 9, disappeared on April 5, 2016, when she was just 2 years old, after her mother, Nicole “Nikki” Fitts, was found murdered.

An aged image of what Ariana might look like today has been released National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

“Investigators and NCMEC believe that Ariana is still alive, and they are asking the public to be aware of her age-related image,” officials said.

FBI investigators say the search for Ariana has spread across the country, and they believe some witnesses have moved to areas in California and Nevada.

Fitts was a single mother who worked nights and hired a nanny to care for Ariana, her family said. It was a temporary solution until she got back on her feet. This arrangement lasted for several months, according to a video released by NCMEC.

On April 1, Fitts told a friend that she planned to meet Ariana’s babysitter. That was the last time she was heard from, authorities said.

Less than a week later, on April 8, Fitts was found murdered in a public park in San Francisco and buried in a shallow grave.

Ariana was last seen in Oakland in January or February 2016, officials said.

FBI investigators believe Fitts’ death and Ariana’s disappearance are connected, but they don’t believe Ariana was with her mother when she was killed.

“We’re asking everyone, no matter where you are or how busy you are, to take a moment to look closely at this image,” said Angeline Hartman, director of communications for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “You could be the key to finding Ariana and not even know it.”

Arianna is described as a black woman with brown eyes and black hair. She was 2 feet tall and weighed 45 pounds at the time of her disappearance.

The San Francisco Police Department is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the suspects in Fitts’ murder and her baby’s disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department at 415-575-4444 or NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678.