The Aberdeen Police Department provided an update after previously being alerted about an alleged missing child near Sycamore Street and Elm Street on Tuesday morning. The call came in shortly after 9 a.m., and officers, investigators, and members of the Aberdeen Fire Department responded immediately.
“Officers and investigators spoke with a witness, who was the reporting party,” stated the Aberdeen Police Department in a press release. “She reported that she saw a white female with blonde hair, approximately 4 years of age, with an unknown clothing description, underneath the bridge of the train tracks. She reported that she approached the child to assist her, when the child ran away, up a steep embankment, and disappeared.”
Officers and investigators proceeded to search the immediate area and along the railroad tracks but found no evidence of a child. There were also no reports of missing children in Aberdeen.
However, out of “an abundance of caution” to ensure no child was in danger, additional resources were deployed, including multiple K9 units and a drone with infrared technology. Officers conducted a door-to-door search and searched the area on foot for several hours.Â
The search yielded no results and no indicators that a child had been present.Â
“It was later determined that the missing juvenile allegations were unfounded, and none of the investigative tools that were utilized indicated that a child had been in the area,” concluded the Aberdeen Police Department.Â
The search involved multiple agencies including the Aberdeen Police Department, Aberdeen Fire Department, Moore County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and K9, NC Department of Corrections K9s, Moore County Public Safety, and Southern Pines Fire & Rescue.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy.
