A 4-year-old girl named Blessing, who had been missing after her mother’s car was stolen early Thursday morning in Rock Island, has been safely found. Illinois State Police announced at 3 p.m. on X (formerly Twitter) that Blessing had been reunited with her mother and was being checked by Chicago emergency medical services. It is not clear exactly where or how authorities found her.
The incident started at around 6:07 a.m. when Blessing’s mother parked her car in the 1300 block of 14½ Street. She left Blessing in her booster seat inside the running car while she went inside a nearby house. When the mother came back outside, the car was gone.
The car was located 17 minutes later near 8th Street and 15th Avenue, but Blessing was not inside. Law enforcement agencies quickly got to work, and Rock Island Police Chief Tim McCloud shared with the Sun-Times that they were doing everything they could to find the child. McCloud also confirmed that they had reached out to the FBI, state police, and other local agencies to help with the search.
Authorities were concerned that Blessing might have been taken far away, but McCloud emphasized that there was no indication that she was heading to Chicago. The search efforts included knocking on doors in the area and using drones to help look for Blessing.
The case gained immediate attention, and local police urged anyone with information to get in touch with them or dial 911. The Rock Island Police Department’s phone number is 309-732-2677.
Thanks to the joint efforts of Rock Island police, Moline police, and the Rock Island County sheriff’s department, Blessing was located safely. She has now been returned to her mother, and authorities continue to investigate the details surrounding her disappearance.
