Police have announced that a missing girl from Edmonton has been found safe in the U.S. and a 41-year-old American man is now in custody.
Edmonton Police shared in a news release that 13-year-old Lila Smith who went missing on Friday, June 24, 2022, was found in the U.S. state of Oregon on the morning of Saturday, July 2, 2022.
"Lila 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 Lila safely back to her family."
According to Edmonton Police, a 41-year-old Oregon man is a suspect in this case and he 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. 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.
\u201cMissing 13-year-old female found in Oregon: After an extensive investigation, 13-year-old Lila Smith, who went missing on Friday, June 24, 2022, has been found in Oregon, U.S. this morning, July 2, 2022. \n\nThis investigation is a success thanks to the\u2026 https://t.co/gZdJlLHoJG\u201d— Edmonton Police (@Edmonton Police) 1656778861
"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 Edmonton Police Service 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. She had gotten on the bus to go to school in the morning but she 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.
Missing 13-Year-Old From Edmonton Found Safe In The US & A 41-Year-Old American Is In Custody
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