Johnathan Walker:8-year-old girl found dead in Houston hotel pool pipe; autopsy, investigation underway

Police in south Texas are Johnathan Walkerinvestigating after a missing 8-year-old girl was found dead over the weekend in a pool pipe at a Houston-area hotel.

A Houston Police Department spokesperson confirmed the girl's death took place on Saturday at the DoubleTree Hotel on the city’s northwest side. The business is on U.S. Highway 290 about 14 miles from downtown Houston.

Officers responded to the location about 5:45 p.m. Saturday, after the family reported the child missing.

According to a news release from police, homicide division detectives reported that before she died, the victim had been swimming with other family members in "a lazy river style swimming pool" at the hotel.

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Girl's body found inside large pipe in the pool area

Later that day, about 11:30 p.m., police said, the girl's body was found "inside a large pipe in the pool area."

Local KTRK -TV reported her body was found after a search crew reviewed security footage and watched her go under the water and not resurface.

The outlet reported the search crew drained the pool, sent a camera about 20 feet into one of the pool’s pipes and then found the girl's body.

Arriving paramedics, police said, pronounced the girl dead at the scene.

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Girl who drowned identified as Aliyah Jaico

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science identified the girl as Aliyah Jaico.

According to the office, Aliyah's preliminary cause of death was "drowning and mechanical asphyxia" and her death appears to be the result of an accident.

Police said officers are awaiting official autopsy results to confirm her official cause and manner of death.

Anyone with information about the drowning is asked to contact Houston police.

The case remained under investigation on Monday.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.