Search For Missing Mom Resumes After 'Body' Found In Indiana Turns Out To Be 'Life-Sized Doll'

The search for missing Indiana mom Ariana Taylor has resumed after the Gary Police clarified that the "body" found a few miles away from her crashed car was actually a "life-size doll."

Police in Gary were called to the area of 15th Avenue and Lake Street Sunday for what was "believed to be a body in the grassy area," reported NBC Chicago.

On arrival, officers discovered a "body" though it could not be identified at that time. Ariana's family stood by waiting, for the officers to identify the remains. However, two hours later, Gary police revealed the body was determined to be a life-size silicone/rubber-type doll. Ariana's car was found deserted a week ago.

When asked how such confusion could happen, the Gary Police told CBS 2 that there was a sheet over the doll and that they could not remove that sheet to look until the coroner arrived on the scene.

Queena Taylor, Ariana's mother, said she learned a body had been discovered Sunday after seeing reports on social media. So, she headed to the location. "I wanted to confirm and check and see who it is," Queena told NBC Chicago. "I still believe she’s alive, so that's what I'm going with until further notice."

Taylor, 23, was last heard from late on April 2. She was reported missing by her mother after the SUV she drove was found crashed down an embankment along Interstate 65 near the border of Lake Station and Gary. According to her family, Ariana's wallet, cell phone and keys were missing. Some of her bloody clothes were also spotted several feet away from the crash scene, along with a piece of her jewelry.

Following that, a search was launched on foot with K-9 units, on ATV, in area hospitals, and even underwater. Her friends and family have also formed a search party under the Chicago-based security team KC Bodyguards.

Her mother had earlier told about how she believed foul play is involved in her daughter’s mysterious disappearance. Sunday's discovery has given Queena hope that Ariana is alive. "We're gonna continue our search, and we're gonna continue making flyers and letting the communities know all over," Queena told NBC.

Ariana has a four-year-old son. She is described as a Black woman, 5 ft. 6 in. tall and 200 lbs. She was last seen wearing a red sweater, ripped blue jeans and gym shoes.