Missing Texas A&M reporter found safe
Police say Courtney Roland appears to be unharmed and has been taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
Investigators believe a severely bad reaction to medication may have led to the disappearance of a Texas college football reporter, who was found Monday under an overpass, apparently physically unharmed but with memory loss.
“When our people were talking with her she seemed pretty confused about everything,” said Lt. Manuel Cruz Jr. of the Houston Police Department at a press conference Monday afternoon.
Courtney Roland, 29, was located near a Chick-fil-A in west Houston, according to police. She wasn’t aware that she had been reported as missing and her state of confusion caused her to lose track of time, investigators said.
Roland had vanished after reportedly texting her roommate about being followed by a suspicious man -- as well as sending nonsensical texts to her mother. Still, police say they do not suspect foul play.
“We don’t have too many details right now; we’re just happy she’s OK,” her father, Steve Roland, told the Houston Chronicle.
Police said that “after seeing Ms. Roland’s case in the news this morning, a passerby called us about 8:15 a.m., stating Ms. Roland was under an overpass at the 610 West Loop at Richmond.”
“Our officers arrived, confirmed it was her, and arranged she be checked at an area hospital,” police added.
Roland, who covers Texas A&M University football for the college sports website Rivals, was last seen Sunday around 5:40 p.m. walking alone in a store at the Houston Galleria, investigators had said.
A white Jeep belonging to Roland was discovered by police Monday in a parking lot across the street from the mall, with her phone and other items still inside.
Her purse, which contained an iPad, computer and credit cards inside, also was found inside the mall, according to family members who spoke to KHOU.
Roland’s roommate told Click 2 Houston she received a text from Roland on Sunday saying she was being followed by a blue truck driven by a suspicious man she saw in a Walgreens store.
The roommate said the man followed Roland to her home in the truck, circled back around, parked behind her in her driveway and sped away when Roland exited her vehicle, although it was not immediately clear how the roommate knew that information or how Roland arrived at the home.
The roommate told the station that they were supposed to meet up on Sunday, but she never heard back.
Later Sunday, Roland’s mother received a text from her phone saying, “hello the owner of this phone Courtney. I am buying an iPad,” according to Click 2 Houston.
Roland’s roommate also told Click 2 Houston that Roland had been on high alert for weeks after someone broke into her car.
Several of Roland’s colleagues had taken to Twitter to ask for help finding her.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday retweeted a plea to help search for her with the hashtag #HelpFindCourtney.
She had been covering a Houston football camp Saturday, and had left in an Uber, Click 2 Houston reported.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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