A 13-year-old Edmonton girl who disappeared more than a week ago has been found in Oregon.
Edmonton police said in a news release that the missing teen was found Saturday morning. Her family has been notified and arrangements are being made to return her to Edmonton.
The teen has been taken to a children’s hospital in Oregon for a precautionary examination, police said.
A 41-year-old Oregon man has been arrested and is to face charges of child luring, the release said. Other charges may be added as the investigation continues.
The teen went missing on June 24 after leaving for school.
Edmonton police are holding a news conference Saturday morning to provide further details on how the girl was found. The search involved many law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
“This investigation is a success thanks to the many partners involved, including various specialized Edmonton Police Service units, as well as, ALERT (Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams), Northern Alberta ICE Unit, RCMP, Abbotsford Police, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, CBSA, Gladstone Police (Oregon), Oregon City Police, and the FBI,” the EPS release stated.
The release did not provide further details as to where in Oregon the teen was found, or how she crossed the border.
Edmonton police have faced questions as to why an AMBER alert was not issued in the 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,” Staff Sgt. James Vanderland of EPS’ Historical Crimes Section said in the release.
“An AMBER Alert was being prepared once we confirmed the credible tip of the suspect’s identity, his location, and his vehicle description; however, we were advised that the suspect was no longer in Canada so an AMBER Alert was no longer feasible.”
https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/missing-edmonton-girl-lila-smith-found-safe-in-oregon
