Round Rock Mother Arrested After Falsely Reporting 8-Year-Old Daughter Missing

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The mother of 8-year-old Cadence Doyle was arrested Sunday night after investigators determined she falsely reported her daughter missing and coordinated with an associate to hide the child in an attempt to avoid a custody agreement. Cadence, who was initially reported as a runaway on Friday, December 5, was safely found the following afternoon.

Commander John Foster of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said detectives immediately found the statements from the mother, 43-year-old Cailin Larissa Doyle, to be inconsistent. Search teams from the Sheriff’s Office and the Sam Bass Fire Department spent the night combing the area while investigators continued working into Saturday afternoon.

Dozens of first responders and multiple agencies joined the search effort. Foster said Williamson County detectives, the Texas Rangers, and the FBI carried out a joint investigation that revealed Doyle and an associate, 36-year-old Karinna Ann Robertson, had conspired to keep Cadence hidden to sidestep an existing shared custody order involving the child’s father.

Investigators later learned that Robertson abandoned Cadence at a gas station near IH-35 and Old Settlers Boulevard in Round Rock on Saturday. The child was found unharmed.

Doyle was arrested December 7 on charges of misdemeanor False Report Regarding a Missing Child, felony Unlawful Restraint, and felony Interference with Child Custody. Robertson was also taken into custody on charges of felony Interference with Child Custody, felony Unlawful Restraint, and felony Abandoning a Child Without Intent to Return.

Sheriff Matt Lindemann said the case triggered a massive and necessary emergency response that included helicopters, drones, ATVs, K9 units, firefighters, EMS crews, and multiple law enforcement agencies. He noted that intentionally misleading investigators in a case involving a missing child not only strains resources but puts the community at risk.

“We’re grateful the child was found safe and unharmed,” Lindemann said. “But when someone deliberately misleads law enforcement and diverts resources meant for true emergencies, appropriate criminal charges are both warranted and necessary.”

The large-scale search involved support from the FBI, Texas Rangers, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Austin Police Air 1, Travis County STAR Flight, Sam Bass Fire Rescue, Team Texas K9 Search, Round Rock Fire Department, Round Rock Police, Williamson County EMS, county emergency communications, and the District Attorney’s Office.