BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A report of a missing 4-year-old Bloomington girl set off a massive police search at 4 a.m. Sunday, but the search ended happily six hours later when the child was found unharmed at the home of a family friend.
A Bloomington mother discovered her daughter missing at 3:45 a.m. in their apartment in the 1100 block of Gettysburg Drive and called 911, said Bloomington police spokesman Dave White.
Bloomington police immediately began searching for the missing child, and were joined by officers from the Illinois State University police department and the McLean County Sheriff's Department.
Bloomington's first-shift patrol officers and detectives from its investigative division were called in early to assist, and the McLean County Emergency Management Agency was contacted to help. Ten volunteers from McLean County, six from Tazewell County and two bloodhounds were used to search the area and assist with the door-to-door search.
A total of 25 Bloomington officers took part in the search.
"It was a great relief," said Bloomington Police Sgt. Dan Hoeniges as word spread that the search was over and ended well.
Employees from the City of Bloomington public service department volunteered to assist as well. Workers from the American Red Cross were on hand to support the search process.
The child was found unharmed in the apartment of a family friend in the same building. The apartment was originally canvassed during the search, but there had been no answer at the door at the time. It was not after 10 a.m. that the family friend noticed the activity and presented the child.
Copyright 2013 - The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
