Missing 12-year-old girl last seen near U of M's St. Paul campus found safe
UPDATE (July 10, 2024) — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said the 12-year-old girl who went missing near the St. Paul campus on Monday has been found safe.
The department did not provide any additional information.
The child's family told WCCO she was found at Minneapolis Central Library Wednesday afternoon when a good Samaritan recognized her from posters and called police. She was lost and could not find her way home, the family said.
Below is a modified version of the original story.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Police at the University of Minnesota are asking for the public's help to find a 12-year-old child who was last seen near the university's St. Paul campus.
The girl was seen on Monday around 3 p.m. at the Commonwealth Terrace Cooperative in St. Paul.
The girl's mother said she left a note on Monday afternoon, saying that she was going out and would be right back.
Investigators say she was also seen on camera near the light rail train platform by the intersection of Raymond and University Avenue in St. Paul at 2:22 p.m. on Monday. She was wearing a brown flannel, white tank top, jean skirt, knee-high white socks and brown high-top Converse. She was later seen getting off at the Nicollet Avenue stop in downtown Minneapolis and starting walking north.
"I'm just so scared. I want my baby home. It's a big city," said the girl's mother.
The girl's extended family and friends printed roughly 150 missing person posters to put on the green line. They also took another stack to south Minneapolis near the Minneapolis American Indian Center.
Her family, from Red Lake, took part in the traditional practice of smudging — burning sacred herbs for healing and cleanse the soul of negative thoughts.
"Our children are our most sacred gift, and it's all of our responsibility to protect our children and come together when instances like this happen," said Audrianna Goodwin, who was helping with the search.