Lila Smith Bio – Lila Smith Wiki
Lila Smith, who was reported missing on June 24, was found uninjured in a hotel in Portland, Oregon, Saturday morning, her father, Martin Smith, said.
AGE:
Lila Smith is 13 years old.
DETAIL OF INCIDENCE:
Police say a missing 13-year-old Edmonton girl has been found alive in the United States.
“We’re on our way to Portland right now. Until we get Lila in our arms it still doesn’t seem like it’s over yet,” Martin said. “I’ve asked the FBI agents what her mood is like. They say she’s looking forward to seeing us, she’s tired and she’s trying to rest now.”
Edmonton Police Insp. Brent Dahlseide says Smith is currently in an Oregon hospital for a precautionary examination. He says a 41-year-old Oregon man will be charged with child luring and is expected to face additional charges in Canada and the U.S.
Daleside says it is believed the man came to Edmonton, but it’s not yet clear how he initially made contact with Smith or how she crossed the U.S. border. EPS spokesperson Landis Reichle told the Star in an email that “police believe that the suspect and Lila may have made contact with one another online.”
Lila had last been seen near Killarney Junior High School, north of downtown Edmonton, around 8:30 a.m. on June 24. She’d taken the bus to school that morning but never made it to class. Her family later reported her missing to the police.
Photos of the girl have appeared on billboards and posters across Alberta this past week, asking people to be on the lookout for her and contact the police with tips.
Daleside says Edmonton police received assistance from other agencies in Canada, as well as from the FBI and other police services in the U.S.
Key pieces that led to the identification of the suspect came from several EPS members conducting their follow-up investigations. CCTV was received from the community that supported our members’ investigation,” Reichle said.
Martin said the FBI would meet him and Lila’s mother at the airport in Portland and take them to Lila.
He said they both feel an immense sense of relief and described the last week of searching for Lila as “a nightmare.”
“You’re just constantly living in fear and in anticipation of where Lila could be what she was doing and whether she was hurt,” Martin said.
“I’m just so happy to have Lila back. Right now, the specifics of the case don’t really matter as much as getting her back home and starting the recovery from there.”
Daleside said an Amber Alert was not issued because investigators lacked a description of a suspect or a suspect vehicle. He said police got that information on Friday and were drafting the alert that afternoon when they learned from Canada Border Services the suspect had crossed into the U.S.
At that point, the suspect was no longer in a Canadian jurisdiction, Dahlseide explained, which is another criterion for an Amber Alert. He said they made a deduction about where the suspect was going and alerted authorities on the U.S. side.
Daleside said he believed the arrest was made outside Gladstone, Oregon, just south of Portland, away from the suspect’s residence. He said the suspect’s name would not be released until charges were formally laid.
Canadian investigators have not had a chance to speak with the girl or the suspect yet, Dahlseide said, and other questions remain.
He said investigators believe the suspect was in Mission, B.C., for three to four days, so they’ll be asking RCMP to speak to people who may have seen him or the girl during that time. The FBI will also be able to help supply bank or credit card information to piece together the suspect’s movements, he said.
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