KENDRIANA BASS - 16 yo/Autistic - Springfield/Nixa MO

Police say a teen with autism hasn't been seen since she went to the
Library Center on South Campbell in Springfield. The family of Kendriana
Bass from Nixa reported missing Sunday afternoon. She is 16 years old,
black, 5"2" tall and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing purple
shoes, a black jacket, and flare-leg jeans. Call police if you can
help.

An autistic teen reported missing from the Library Center Sunday afternoon was found riding a Springfield City bus Monday morning.

Investigators
say 16-year-old Kendriana Bass was with a man on the bus, both were
being questioned by police Monday morning to try and figure out what
happened.

Police believe Bass walked
away from the Library Center, but they aren't sure yet if she was with
the man then or met him sometime later.

It was a long night for a mother and her family from Nixa after her
teenage daughter disappeared on Sunday afternoon. Ana Bass, 16, is
safe. Police found her on a City Utilities of Springfield bus on Monday morning after an alert bus driver spotted her.
The ordeal began at the Library Center on South Campbell
Avenue in Springfield around 3:30 Sunday afternoon. The girl, along
with her brother and mom, were there just to hang out. When the family
was ready to leave, Ana was nowhere to be found. It led to 16 hours of
fear and fretting for Carla Bass.
"It was terrifying,” she said Monday as she sat beside her daughter.
She says it was the most heart wrenching night of her life.
"We went to round up Ana and she wasn't there,” said Bass. "We called police right away."
Ana had wandered off from the library and onto a city bus.
Complicating the issue is Ana has several medical conditions, including
autism.
"We didn't know if she went alone or if she was in there somewhere and we didn't know where,” said Bass.
Ana started traveling with a complete stranger -- a 20-year-old man who police describe as a transient.
"I asked her if she ate and she said, ‘No,’ and, ‘Where did you
sleep?’ and she says she slept at a park on the grass,” said Bass.
And that story so far checks out with police. Officers say it doesn't appear any harm was done.
After Ana's long night, the first place she was spotted on
Monday morning was at a bus stop on Glenstone Avenue at Barataria Street
near Battlefield Mall. She was transferring buses
but a bus driver remembered she looked like the missing girl whom he
saw on a morning newscast. He called 911, police pulled over the bus
and, sure enough, Ana was on it.
"I think she was scared and, the minute I walked in and saw her, the tears just started flooding down her face,” said Bass.
Carla says wandering away, and even talking to strangers, is
extremely out of character for her teen, who normally keeps to herself.
Now,she's just thankful for an alert bus driver, what she thinks was a
nice man who was with her all night long, and a community of friends
around her full of faith.
"It doesn't matter what faith; everybody was praying and I just think it had a lot to do with the outcome," said Bass.
Police said the case is under investigation but don’t
anticipate any criminal charges against the man with whom Ana was
traveling, or her mom. They say it really turned out as well as it
could have.