PLAINFIELD, Ind. — Police in Plainfield are continuing their search for a 4-year-old girl who’s been missing since early Thursday afternoon.

After scaling back their search overnight due to a lack of visibility, police began searching again around 7 a.m. Friday for Fiedwenya Fiefe.

The girl vanished from the Legacy Farms neighborhood around 1 p.m.

Fiedwenya Fiefe is described as being 3’5″ and 35 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a long pink night gown.

Anywhere from 50 to 100 police officers and fire department personnel were searching the neighborhood Friday morning. Neighbors have also been asked to check around their homes.

A FOX59 crew spoke to a woman who identified herself as Fiedwenya’s mother. She was searching a retention pond in the neighborhood and said there was some initial miscommunication that may have played a part in her disappearance. The woman told us she mistakenly thought the girl was with her grandmother.

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According to the woman, Fiedwenya has autism and may have wandered off. The girl is non-verbal and attracted to water.

Divers were seen preparing to go in the retention pond around 8:30 a.m. Police K-9s and drones are also part of the search.

Police began by searching 14 ponds in three neighborhoods around the child’s home.

Then late this afternoon police expanded the search by calling for volunteers to help search some of the wooded areas around this neighborhood.

“Overnight I couldn’t sleep for anything and decided to come search,” said Kara Sellers.

Kara took part in the search,  even though she doesn’t know the missing girl.

“It’s terrifying and heartbreaking to know she’s still missing,” said volunteer Kara Sellers. “It’s terrifying to know she hasn’t been found and no one has seen her.”

Before asking for the public’s assistance, multiple agencies used helicopters, drones, K9’s and dive teams to search for the girl.

Police say they are leaving no stone unturned.

“Any child that’s missing even for 5 minutes is devastating for the family. We are still keeping hope we find her,” said Plainfield deputy chief Joe Aldridge.

Police confirm the girl has wandered away before but has never been missing for this long.

“She has a history of leaving the residence, but they generally find her quickly and get her back,” said Alridge. “The family, as you can imagine, is very devastated. They are cooperating with our agency.”

Police say homeowners in the area can also assist in the search by looking around their own property. In the meantime, a Silver Alert remains in effect.

Plainfield police last provided this update online:

3:33pm UPDATE-

Our community support has been overwhelming and our agency as well as the family of NeeGee appreciates all the volunteers that came out to assist in searching.

The areas that were initially identified for search party volunteers is being executed at this time by foot, ATV and horseback. 

As volunteers are finishing their areas, please check out with the command post tent you checking in at and you are released for the day. Thank you for your assistance in helping us locate her.

As we continue to search for NeeGee, at this time we are determining what additional areas will need searched in the future. We do not need any further volunteers at this time to come to the area, and will post on social media when those resources are needed. 

Please check out at the place you checked in at when you leave the area.

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Plainfield Public Safety will start conducting ground searches with adult citizens that wish to assist in the search for 4 year old Fiedwenya Fiefe.

Starting at 2:00 pm, public safety will be at the entrance to the Legacy Farms sub division located at US 40 and Eddy Way.  This search will be primarily fields and rural outlying areas around these neighborhoods and searchers will be paired with public safety officials. Adult volunteers need to be aware of the terrain and dress for the weather (sunscreen etc) and be physically capable.

Adult Volunteers will park in the West field at the entrance to Legacy Farms (US 40 and Eddy Way) and check in with public safety. Volunteers must check in with public safety upon arrival and check out with public safety prior to leaving.

This is the ONLY official search party and we request that anyone wanting to search to come and sign in.

If you have any information on Fiedwenya’s whereabouts you are asked to call Hendricks County Communications Center at (317) 839-8700.