Missing 10-year-old Fridley girl found safe

A 10-year-old girl from Fridley who took off with her mother's car and had been spotted driving in several metro suburbs is back home.

Ava Whitfield was found early Wednesday at a Walgreens on County Road 30 in Maple Grove, ending a search that began on Tuesday when she was reported missing.

"We are happy to have her home," said Lt. Nick Knaeble of the Fridley Police Department. She had "a wild adventure."

Ava was reported to be in good condition after a nearly 24-hour escapade in which she drove a black 2018 Chevrolet Equinox from Fridley to a superette in Ramsey. She was also spotted in Bloomington, Edina and Eden Prairie.

Despite all those miles, Ava had no crashes and may have had "luck" on her side, Knaeble said.

Ava had been the subject of a missing persons alert distributed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Tips from the public and media stories helped police find her, Knaeble said.

Tim Harlow