PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — It took just an hour and a quick tip from the public for police to find an eight-year-old girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert in Manitoba on Friday afternoon.
The child was found safe and sound with her mother in a vehicle on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, a surprised Chief Supt. Mark Fisher was informed just moments into a news conference meant to brief the media on the search for the girl.
"This investigation led us to become extremely concerned and believe that (she) is in imminent danger of serious bodily harm. We cannot overstate the urgency of locating this little girl," Fisher said before he paused briefly.
"I've just receive information that we've found (the girl) and she's OK," he continued, adding with a laugh: "I don't know that I've had a press conference that's ended this well. That's fantastic news."
The Amber Alert had been issued on suspicion that the child had been taken from her home in Portage la Prairie, Man., by her biological mother, who was under an order not to have contact with the child.
Police said they were travelling in a stolen pickup truck and could be headed to the Long Plain First Nation. Fisher said police had also received a report the vehicle had been spotted at the airport.
"If anything, from this, we've learned the value of the Amber Alert system," he said. "It's been extremely effective. We obviously have many eyes on the street, far more than what our police forces would be able to put on the street."
He said the girl would be returned to the relatives she has been living with.
