Mass plea for help in finding missing girl

ORLANDO, Fla., July 24 (UPI) -- The grandfather of a missing 2-year-old Florida girl has asked thousands of people through automatic telephone dialing to help find his granddaughter.

In his message, delivered in a system that dialed homes in five central Florida counties, George Anthony urged listeners: "Please help my family and me bring her home for her third birthday."

More calls were planned Thursday, the Orlando Sentinel said.

Caylee Marie Anthony will be 3 next month. A $225,000 reward has been posted. The little girl has been missing since June but was reported missing only last week.

Meanwhile, her mother, Casey Anthony, spent her ninth day in jail Thursday on child-neglect and other charges related to the disappearance. Her bail is set at $500,000.

Anthony was arrested July 16 after allegedly telling investigators a series of lies about her daughter's disappearance, authorities said.