A man suspected in the abduction of two girls whose mother may have been murdered in Texas was spotted on surveillance camera states away in Colorado, police said Wednesday.
Terry Allen Miles, 44, can be seen in surveillance video at a business in Trinidad, Colorado, from Dec. 30 — the day before police found Miles’ roommate, Tonya Bates, dead in her home, Round Rock Police Department Chief Allen Banks said at a news conference Wednesday.
“We were able to obtain video surveillance from a local business in Trinidad and we able to positively identify Terry Allen Miles in that business,” Banks said. He declined to name the establishment.
After the grim discovery of Bates’ body on Sunday, police said they learned her daughters, Lilianais Griffith, 14, and Luluvioletta Bandera-Magret, 7, were missing. The two girls lived with their mother.
Banks said the missing girls were not visible in the footage at the store in Trinidad, Colorado.
“The girls were not with him in the business, but that does not say they weren’t in the car or anywhere else at that time,” he said.
The lead came as a result of a tip to police, Banks said.
Miles is a suspect in the girls’ abduction and a person of interest in the death of their mother.
Banks said that while he had not yet read the autopsy results for Bates, police were “investigating [her death as] a homicide at this point.” Banks previously characterized Bates’ death as “suspicious in nature.”
“He’s a person of concern,” Banks said of Miles, adding, “Terry Miles with those two girls is a concern.”
Banks said that police were continuing to investigate tips, a number of which had come in for Colorado. Some of those tips included possible sightings of the girls, Banks said.
“Whether they’re credible or not, that’s what we’re tracking down,” he said.
“Our goal is to bring these two sisters home and to bring them home safely,” he added.
Miles is 6-foot-2, weighs around 200 pounds and wears glasses and has a beard, according to authorities. He may be traveling in a gray 2017 Hyundai Accent with Texas license plate number JGH9845, police said.
Lilianais, also known as Lili, is described as 5-feet tall and 100 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a right nose earring, according to authorities. Luluvioletta, also known as Lulu, is described as 4-foot-5 and 75 pounds, with brown curly hair that is blonde on top.