Content of the article
Edmonton police said in a news release that Lila Smith was found Saturday morning. Her family has been notified and arrangements are being made for her to return to Edmonton. The teenager was taken to a children’s hospital in Oregon for a checkup, police said. A 41-year-old Oregon man was arrested and will face child seduction charges, the release said. More charges may be added as the investigation continues. A family friend said in an email to Postmedia that Smith’s family is headed to Oregon to meet the teenager. “They are boarding a plane as we speak … but please know that we are very grateful for everyone’s help and support.” Smith disappeared on June 24 after leaving for school. Edmonton police are holding a news conference later Saturday morning to provide more details on how the girl was found. Several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were involved in the investigation.
Content of the article
“This investigation was successful thanks to the many partners involved, including various specialized units of the Edmonton Police Service, as well as ALERT (Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams), Northern Alberta Ice Unit, RCMP, Abbotsford Police, Customs and Border Protection US Patrol, CBSA, Gladstone (Oregon) Police, Oregon City Police and the FBI,” the EPS statement said. The release did not provide further details about where in Oregon the teenager was found or how she crossed the border. Edmonton police have faced questions about why an AMBER alert was not issued for the case. “In the early stages of this investigation, there was no evidence to suggest that he was with anyone, so this file did not meet the criteria,” said Staff Sgt. James Vanderland of EPS’s Historical Crimes Section said in the release. “An AMBER Alert was being prepared once we had confirmed reliable information on the suspect’s identity, location and vehicle description. However, we were informed that the suspect was no longer in Canada, so an AMBER alert was no longer feasible.”
