An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 4-year-old girl who was in her mother’s car when it was stolen in Illinois.
According to police, the car has been found, but the child is still missing. The Rock Island Police Department said the car was stolen around 6:07 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, from the 1300 block of 14th 1/2 Street. The car was left running with the child, named Blessing, in a car seat in the back... Continue reading here ▶
The car was located at 6:24 a.m., but Blessing was not inside. “At this time, the location of the child is unknown,” police stated in a press release.
Authorities are using all available resources to search for Blessing, including help from nearby agencies, door-to-door searches, and drones provided by the Rock Island Police Department, Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department, and Moline Police Department.
Blessing is described as a Black girl, 3 feet tall, and weighing 50 pounds. A police spokesperson said the Amber Alert was issued at 6:42 a.m. and confirmed that the car seat was missing when the vehicle was found.
Police believe the theft may not have been planned as a kidnapping and that it was likely “accidental” that Blessing was in the car at the time.
They are hopeful that someone—perhaps anonymously—will provide information about where she was taken out of the car or where she is now. The spokesperson added that police hope she is safe and nearby.
The spokesperson also asked people not to blame the child’s mother, emphasizing that the incident happened very quickly. Anyone with information is urged to contact the police, and tips can be submitted anonymously.
