An Edmonton teen missing for more than a week has been found in Oregon on the morning of July 2, police announced on Saturday.
The 13-year-old girl went missing on Friday, June 24, 2022.
Edmonton police say a 41-year-old Oregon male suspect is in custody and will be facing charges of child luring and additional charges may follow as the investigation progresses.
“She has been taken to a local children’s hospital for a precautionary examination. Her family was notified earlier this morning and arrangements are being made to return Lila safely back to her family,” police said in a news release.
“Many may be wondering why an AMBER Alert was not issued in this case. At the initial stages of this investigation, there was no evidence to suggest she was with someone, so this file did not meet the criteria,” explained Staff Sergeant James Vanderland of EPS’ Historical Crimes Section.
“An AMBER Alert was being prepared once we confirmed the credible tip of the suspect’s identity, his location, and his vehicle description; however, we were advised that the suspect was no longer in Canada so an AMBER Alert was no longer feasible.”
Police also said that the investigation was a success thanks to the many partners involved, including various specialized Edmonton Police Service units, as well as, ALERT (Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams), Northern Alberta ICE Unit, RCMP, Abbotsford Police, US Customs and Border Patrol, CBSA, Gladstone Police (Oregon), Oregon City Police, and the FBI.