Police Continue Search For Kidnapper
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Police are continuing their search for the man who kidnapped a 7-year-old girl in St. Paul.
The girl was taken from a laundromat near Rice St. and Larpenteur Ave. at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday by a stranger.
Ninety minutes later, she was found by another stranger who helped reunite her with her parents.
"I was just baking out of the driveway when I noticed the little girl walking," said Shuja Ahmed.
Ahmed said he was on his way to a family gathering when he saw a little girl who looked like she needed help.
"She kind of had her hands crossed and just kind of just wandering around like she was lost and that's when I decided to approach her and ask her what's going on," said Ahmed.
Ahmed said the child took to him quickly.
"She was actually a pretty confident little girl I mean she wasn't scared she wasn't crying or anything she I offered her and she came right in the back of the seat," said Ahmed.
He questioned the girl, asking her why was she in his Spring Lake Park neighborhood alone.
"She just said 'I was taken, I was taken,'" said Ahmed.
A 911 call helped reunite the girl with her family. Ahmed said he had no idea who she was.
"I was totally unaware of the amber alert," Ahmed said.
Police say 50 people saw the man approach the girl and her little sister. He asked her if she wanted to see his puppy. She went with the stranger, and her sister ran to tell her parents.
Ninety minutes later, Ahmed found her.
After finding the girl Sunday night, the focused Monday for investigators shifted to finding the man who took her from her family.
"We've assembled a team of investigators from a number of different units and they are working today to talk to witnesses again they are working with the little girl to see if she can provide any additional information that would help investigators find this man," said St. Paul Police Information Officer John Keating.
A man was questioned Sunday night but released. The man who took her is described as a white man in his 50s. He is between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 foot tall. He has white shoulder length hair that has been buzzed around the ears like a mullet. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call St. Paul Police.
