A four-year-old girl who was abducted 19 days ago from her family’s tent was found alive on Australia’s western border.
Western Australian police found Cleo Smith in a private home 30 miles from the cottage and met with her parents, police said.
He added that the local resident is in custody and is being questioned by investigators.
“I am delighted to announce early this morning that the Western Australian Police have rescued Cleo Smith. Cleo is alive and well, ”Lt. Col. Blanch said in a video posted on the local police Facebook page.
Blanche said a group of police officers broke into a locked house in Carnarvon around 1am local time and found a child who identified herself as Cleo .
According to Blanche, one of the police officers who found him picked the child and asked for her name. “My name is Cleo,” she replied.
“This is the result we all hoped for and prayed for,” he added.
“Our family is reunited,” wrote mother Cleo Smith on Instagram.
Cleo disappeared from her family’s tent at the Blowholes Campground in McLeod, 30 miles north of Carnarvon, early Saturday morning, October 16.
Cleo’s mother, Ellie Smith, told reporters at the start of the search that Cleo woke up at 1:30 a.m. and she wanted to drink water before bed. When Smith woke again at 6 a.m., Cleo was gone.
In connection with the disappearance of the girl, the police, along with helicopters, drones and officers from the provincial capital of Perth, conducted a massive search of an area of several square kilometers in the vicinity.
Cleo’s sleeping bag was also missing , and the zipper on the tent was so high that the police suspected she had been kidnapped.
Smith and his partner Jake Gleeddon asked for help finding the baby. Less than a week after the search, the Western Australian government offered to pay $ 1 million ($ 750,000) for information leading to her.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the news “amazing” on his official Twitter account. “Then it just became our attention. Cleo Smith was found and alive at home. Our prayers were answered. Thanks to the many police officers who helped find Cleo .
