East Texas Man Connected to Missing 11-Year-Old Girl Charged with Aggravated Assault

LIVINGSTON, Texas — Polk County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested Don Steven McDougal Friday night on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. McDougal is reported to be the last person known to be with 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham before she disappeared Thursday morning.

Deputies arrested McDougal and booked him into the Polk County Jail at 11:50 p.m. on Friday. He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — a 2nd Degree Felony in Texas. If convicted on the charge he could face up to 20 years in prison. The charge is said to be unrelated to the disappearance of Audrii Cunningham.

McDougal is reported to be the last person known to be with 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham before she disappeared prior to school on February 15. Sources in Polk County government, not authorized to speak with the media, told Breitbart Texas that McDougal was supposed to drop Audrii off at her school bus stop Wednesday morning. No one ever saw her at the bus stop. She never arrived at the bus stop or her school.

A Texas Ranger interviewed McDougal throughout the day on Friday, the source explained. Later in the day, Polk County investigators arrested McDougal on the unrelated assault charge.

On Friday morning, a large law enforcement presence was seen along the Trinity River below the Lake Livingston Dam in San Jacinto County. Deputies from Polk and San Jacinto Counties, Texas Department of Public Saftey troopers and Texas Rangers, Department of Parks and Wildlife game wardens, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice guards were on the scene to participate in the search operation after a “lead” brought them to this location.

Sources in Polk County told Breitbart that tips led investigators to the area where they found articles that allegedly belonged to Audrii. McDougal’s truck was also reportedly found stuck in the mud near the area. By the end of Friday, investigators believed they had enough evidence to hold McDougal on the unrelated charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, pending further investigation.

Breitbart Texas observed search dogs being deployed into the wooded area along the banks of the Trinity River. According to San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers, DPS dive teams were also being utilized to search the riverbed. Drones were also seen searching the area.

“We are using every tool at our disposal to find Audrii and return her safely to her family,” Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons told Breitbart Friday evening. “On Saturday, we will bring in additional resources to continue the search.”

On Friday, Facebook user Patricia Jo posted a video showing police in Livingston, Texas, talking with McDougal. Following the casual interview outside a local donut shop, Patricia Jo followed a caravan including McDougal and Livingston police officers.

The convoy roamed the local streets, stopping at a house in Livingston and an HEB gas station before driving to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, where McDougal entered and never came out.

Sheriff Lyons told Breitbart that Texas EquuSearch will arrive on Saturday to bring additional resources and equipment to aid in the search for Audrii. Texas EquuSearch is a non-profit organization specializing in difficult search and recovery operations. Tim Miller founded the group after his own 16-year-old daughter was kidnapped and murdered in 1984.

Miller told Breitbart Texas he would be on the Trinity River Saturday morning to begin a search for Audrii.

Breitbart Texas reached out to Sheriff Lyons early Saturday morning for additional information on McDougal and the search operation. The no-doubt-exhausted sheriff was not available for an immediate response.

Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas from Brazoria County, Texas, reveal that McDougal was convicted in 2008 on a 3rd Degree Felony charge of Enticing a Child. The 300th District Court found him guilty and sentenced McDougal to two years in prison.

In addition to the prior conviction on a child sex-related offense, McDougal also wears tattoos indicating a possible affiliation with gang activities.

McDougal reportedly lived with Audrii’s father, Josh Cunningham, and would babysit Audrii while Josh was out of town working.

Reports indicate that Livingston ISD school officials notified Cunningham around noon that Audrii never arrived for school on Thursday. Cunningham did not report his daughter missing until after she was scheduled to arrive home after school.