Missing 13-Year-Old From Edmonton Found Safe In The US & A 40-Year-Old American Is In Custody
Edmonton police worked with the RCMP, CBSA, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Oregon City Police and FBI in the investigation.
Edmonton police station. Right: Oregon City Police station and police car.
Police have announced that a missing girl from Edmonton has been found safe in the U.S. and that a 40-year-old American man is now in custody.
The Edmonton Police Service shared in a news release that the 13-year-old, who went missing over a week ago on Friday, June 24, was found in Oregon on the morning of Saturday, July 2.
"[She] has been taken to a local children's hospital for precautionary examination," police said. "Her family was notified earlier this morning and arrangements are being made to return [her] safely back to her family."
According to EPS, a 40-year-old Oregon man is a suspect in this case and is currently in custody.
He will be facing charges of child luring, and more charges could be added as the investigation into what happened continues.
Edmonton police worked with different law enforcement teams in Canada and the U.S. to find the child, including the RCMP, CBSA, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Oregon City Police and FBI.
The service said that the investigation was "a success" thanks to the work of all of those who were involved.
"Many may be wondering why an AMBER Alert was not issued in this case. At the initial stages of this investigation, there was no evidence to suggest she was with someone, so this file did not meet the criteria," said EPS Staff Sergeant James Vanderland.
Vanderland noted that an alert was being prepared after a credible tip about the suspect's identity, location and vehicle description were confirmed.
"However, we were advised that the suspect was no longer in Canada so an AMBER Alert was no longer feasible," Vanderland continued.
According to CTV News, the 13-year-old was reported missing when she didn't come home from school on June 24. Her family said she had gotten on the bus to go to school in the morning but never showed up for class.
Edmonton police thanked the public for helping with the investigation and said the family has asked for privacy.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.