The abduction of a 7-year-old girl from central Minnesota on Wednesday, Jan. 21, was carried out by a stranger, Sherburne County authorities said.
Sherburne County Sheriff Cmdr. Ben Zawacki said Thursday that there was a “social media” tie, but did not elaborate, saying that is part of the investigation.
The girl was found hours later more than 100 miles away. Authorities arrested a suspect in connection with her disappearance.
The girl was last seen about 3:55 p.m. Wednesday in the 26000 block of W. 13th Street in Zimmerman. A black sedan was spotted following a school bus she was on.
Hundreds of volunteers turned out to look for the girl once the word got out. Authorities issued an Amber alert, which pinged phones shortly before midnight.
Albert Lea police were notified of a vehicle that was potentially associated with the alert. Officers spotted it in the Albert Lea area and conducted a traffic stop.
During the investigation, officers confirmed the girl inside the vehicle was the one sought. She was safely recovered, and a 28-year-old man from Maple Grove was taken into custody on suspicion of kidnapping, Albert Lea police said.
The suspect, who the Minnesota Star Tribune is not naming until charges are filed, was booked into the Freeborn County jail. The girl was evaluated at a hospital before being reunited with her family.
