Key facts
- Name: Lina Sardar Khil
- Born: February 20, 2018, Afghanistan
- Age at disappearance: 3
- Last seen: December 20, 2021, afternoon
- Location: Playground, Villas Del Cabo apartments, 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, Texas
- Height / build: ~4’0″, ~55 lbs, brown hair (straight, shoulder-length), brown eyes
- Clothing: Black jacket, red dress, black shoes
- Status: Still missing — active investigation (FBI involved)
- Investigating agency: San Antonio Police Department Missing Persons Unit; FBI (San Antonio Field Office)
Five o’clock at the playground
On the afternoon of December 20, 2021, three-year-old Lina Sardar Khil was playing with other children on the playground of the Villas Del Cabo apartments in San Antonio, Texas. Her mother was nearby, then stepped away. When she returned a short time later, Lina was gone.
She was last seen around 5 p.m. wearing a black jacket, a red dress, and black shoes, her straight shoulder-length brown hair as pictured in family photos.
The family had come to the United States from Afghanistan in 2019 on a special visa — Lina’s father, Riaz Sardar Khil, had worked with the United States Army. They had sought safety. Two years later, their daughter vanished from a playground in the country that was supposed to be the safe one.
A statewide Amber Alert went out. It was later discontinued — but as Texas Alerts noted at the time, Lina remained “an active missing person case.” She still is.
The search
The FBI joined the San Antonio Police Department in the search, one of the largest missing-child efforts in the city’s recent history. Officers canvassed the apartment complex and surrounding neighborhoods. Divers searched nearby water. In December 2022, law enforcement released surveillance footage of Lina’s last known whereabouts.
In April 2023, Lina’s father took an FBI polygraph examination in an effort to clear his name — a step families in high-profile cases sometimes take under unbearable public pressure. Age-progressed images followed — first a 2023 sketch by forensic artist Lois Gibson, then a 2024 official image from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children — showing what Lina might look like as a little girl of six.
In December 2025, four years on, the community gathered for an observance ceremony. “She has not been forgotten,” a speaker told the crowd. “Tonight, we stand together as a community, we stand with Lina’s family and their pain and their hope. No family should ever feel alone in a moment like this.” The family hired a private investigator in October 2025 to pursue new leads.
Through it all, the central question has never been answered: did Lina wander away from the playground, or did someone take her? Authorities have said they don’t know.
More recently, reporting surfaced about Peter “Pete” Tamez, a convicted felon with a history of drug possession and immigrant smuggling who lived in the same apartment complex. According to the Bexar County District Attorney’s office, Tamez told investigators he had sexually assaulted and killed Lina and dumped her body, giving them a location to search. Multiple searches were conducted based on his claims, but nothing was found — and prosecutors later presented evidence at trial that Tamez’s allegations about Lina were false. In October 2025, Tamez was sentenced to 75 years in prison as a habitual offender for other crimes; he was not convicted of any charge related to Lina. The case remains an open missing-person investigation, not a prosecution.
Theories: what might have happened
Abduction by a stranger. The family’s current belief, and the scenario the Amber Alert presumed: someone took Lina from the playground. Supports it: a healthy three-year-old doesn’t vanish from a populated playground without help; no trace of her has ever been found in the surrounding area despite massive searches. Undercuts it: no witness has described seeing her taken, and no suspect has been identified.
Wandered off. The alternative authorities have never ruled out: Lina left the playground on her own and came to harm somewhere unseen. Supports it: she was three, briefly unsupervised, near roads and drainage areas. Undercuts it: the scale of the search — ground, water, air — makes it hard to explain how no trace was ever found.
Taken by someone known to the family. Early in the case, the family said they initially thought Lina might have left with another Afghan family. That line was investigated and went nowhere. There is no public evidence supporting it.
Have information?
Contact the San Antonio Police Department Missing Persons Unit at (210) 207-7660, or your local FBI office (San Antonio Field Office). In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- February 20, 2018 — Lina Sardar Khil is born in Afghanistan.
- 2019 — Family immigrates to the United States on a special visa; father had worked with the U.S. Army.
- December 20, 2021, ~5:00 p.m. — Last seen at the Villas Del Cabo playground, San Antonio; mother returns to find her gone.
- December 2021 — Amber Alert issued, later discontinued; FBI joins the search.
- December 2022 — Surveillance footage of Lina’s last known whereabouts released.
- April 2023 — Lina’s father takes an FBI polygraph to clear his name.
- 2023–2024 — Age-progressed images released (Lois Gibson sketch; NCMEC image).
- October 2025 — Family hires a private investigator.
- December 2025 — Four-year observance ceremony held in San Antonio.
- 2025–2026 — Reporting surfaces on Pete Tamez, a convicted felon from the same apartment complex who made claims about Lina that led to searches; prosecutors say the claims were false; Tamez is sentenced to 75 years in October 2025 as a habitual offender on other charges.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Lina Khil still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Lina Sardar Khil has been missing for nearly five years. The San Antonio Police Department and the FBI both treat it as an active missing-person investigation.
Was Lina Khil ever found?
No. Despite one of the largest searches in San Antonio’s recent history, no trace of Lina has ever been found.
How old would Lina Khil be today?
Lina was born February 20, 2018 — she turned 8 in February 2026.
What was Lina Khil wearing when she disappeared?
A black jacket, a red dress, and black shoes, with her straight shoulder-length brown hair in a ponytail.
Was anyone arrested in the Lina Khil case?
No. A convicted felon, Pete Tamez, made claims about Lina that prompted searches, but prosecutors later said the claims were false, and he was sentenced in October 2025 to 75 years as a habitual offender on other charges — not in connection with Lina’s disappearance.
How can I help find Lina Khil?
Share her age-progressed images — she would now be a school-age child, not a toddler. Anyone with information should call SAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at (210) 207-7660.
Corrections (October 2026 verification pass)
- Peter Tamez claims rewritten. The file’s specifics — “listing demands including single housing and commissary money,” “Cause No. 2024-CR-1442, State’s Exhibit 16” — could not be verified in any published source and have been removed. Replaced with the verifiable core: Tamez, a convicted felon who lived in the same complex, told investigators he had killed Lina and gave a search location; multiple searches found nothing; prosecutors presented evidence the claims were false; Tamez was sentenced to 75 years in October 2025 as a habitual offender on other charges. Source: Daily Mail (2026), citing the Bexar County District Attorney’s office.
- Age-progression timing. The Lois Gibson sketch was released in 2023 (around Lina’s 5th birthday), not 2024; the NCMEC image followed in 2024. Corrected per Wikipedia.
- “Hair in a ponytail” removed. The FBI poster describes straight, shoulder-length hair; the ponytail detail is unverified.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: San Antonio Police Department Missing Persons Unit; FBI wanted poster, “Lina Sardar Khil” (San Antonio Field Office); Texas Alerts.
- News: KSAT, “Lina Khil’s family holds observance ceremony, still looking for answers 4 years after her disappearance” (Dec 21, 2025); KENS; ABC News (via KVNU); WVLT (Gray News, Dec 2021).
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Lina Khil” (retrieved Oct 2026); NCMEC age-progressed image (2024).
- Media: Daily Mail, “Their little girl vanished from a playground…” (2026, citing the Bexar County DA’s office) — Tamez claims and sentencing.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.