Missing girl with special needs found in Sault Ste. Marie

SAULT STE. MARIE — At approximately 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29th, officers from the Sault Ste. Marie Police Department responded to a missing person call on West 8th Avenue.

The missing person was a 13-year-old girl with Down syndrome. She was last seen by her mother at her residence around 11:00 the previous night when she went to bed.

Officers immediately began a search of the area with the assistance of other local agencies. Patrol supervisor and incident commander Sergeant Derek O’Dell established a command post at LSSU’s Norris Center. As time went on, additional local, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement, area fire agencies, and civilians also arrived to assist with the search. It is estimated that over 100 people arrived to assist in the search.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m., the girl was located at an apartment complex where a relative lives about one and a quarter miles away from her home. She was picked up by Sault officers and returned to her mother. The Sault Ste. Marie Police Department would like to thank everyone in the community who assisted them throughout the incident.