A 4-year-old girl from Rock Island, Illinois, who triggered a statewide Amber Alert after her mother reported her missing during a car theft, was never actually abducted. Police revealed that Blessing J. Aoci was inside her mother's home the entire time, and the initial report was a deliberate deception that wasted valuable law enforcement resources.
A 4-year-old girl from Rock Island, Illinois, who was reported missing after an alleged kidnapping during a car theft , triggering a statewide Amber Alert , was never actually missing, police revealed during a press conference on Thursday. Blessing J. Aoci was initially reported missing on January 16th when her mother called 911, stating that her vehicle had been stolen with her daughter still inside.
This report prompted a significant mobilization of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the day. Blessing was eventually located near her residence approximately nine hours after being reported missing, showing no signs of distress or exposure to the cold. According to the police investigation, Blessing had been inside her mother's residence the entire time. Bodycam footage even captured Blessing inside the residence while being identified as another one of her mother's children to officers. 'This was, by all accounts, an intentional deception that wasted the time and resources of six local law enforcement agencies, the Illinois State Police, the FBI, and the Federal Marshals,' stated Rock Island police chief Tim McLeod. While the initial claim that Blessing's mother's car was stolen proved to be true, the kidnapping charges associated with the incident have been dropped. Auto theft charges against the individuals involved remain in effect. A felony arrest warrant for filing a false police report has been issued, although Blessing's family appears to have left the area. The police initially reported that Blessing was inside a brown Saturn Outlook driven by her mother around 6:07 a.m. in the 1300 block of 14th 1/2 Street when it was stolen, leaving Blessing inside the vehicle. The vehicle was later found unoccupied by police approximately 14 minutes later near the intersection of 8th Street and 15th Avenue. Numerous law enforcement agencies assisted in the search for Blessing, with a command post established in the area of 15th Street and 15th Avenue. The search efforts then focused on the location where the vehicle containing Blessing was stolen, including voluntary searches conducted on neighboring properties. Authorities reported that Blessing was located around 2:53 p.m. in 'apparent good health' near the area of the incident and was reunited with her mother before being transported to a local hospital for a medical evaluation. Eighteen-year-old Jaron Bailey-Harris was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen vehicle. Additionally, three minors were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, while another minor, a 16-year-old, was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.
Amber Alert Missing Child Hoax Police Investigation False Report Kidnapping Car Theft
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