AUGUSTA, Maine — Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a couple they believe took a 3-year-old girl from her home on Sewall Street, where members of the Augusta Fire Department were assisting with a medical emergency, Deputy Chief Jared Mills said in a Tuesday morning news release.
Shortly after noon, police identified the woman involved as Fatima L. Gissentaner, 26, who goes by the nickname China, and issued a statement saying they have spoken to her and Gissentaner said she has the little girl.
“Fatima has advised detectives that she would bring Lenore to the Augusta Police Department but at this time she has yet to have arrived,” Mills said in an updated press release sent shortly after noon. “We have already been in touch with the Department of Public Safety in order to issue an Amber Alert.”
An Amber Alert was issued jointly by Maine State Police and Augusta Police for information on the girl’s whereabouts at 1:30 p.m. when Gissentaner didn’t show.
Gissentaner, who is staying in Augusta and had watched the girl beforehand, is believed to be traveling with her boyfriend, identified only by his nickname “Dollar,” Stephen McCausland said in a released statement. Both Gissentaner and Dollar are black and from New York. The little girl is described as blond and about 30 inches tall and weighing about 30 pounds.
Details about why Gissentaner took the girl are not yet available.
The first responders went to the girl’s home at 26 Sewall St. at 7 a.m. Her mother was having a medical emergency and was taken to an area hospital, McCausland said. Shortly thereafter it was discovered that Lenore “Lenny” Wilson, 3, was missing, Mills said.
“At this point in the investigation, it is suspected that Lenore is with a male and female who were at that apartment of the medical emergency,” the deputy chief said earlier in the day, declining to say what type of medical emergency.
“All available patrol units, fire units, state police and Kennebec County sheriff’s deputies responded to do an immediate search of the area while detectives began interviewing witnesses” after it was noticed the girl was missing, Mills said.
No further information was immediately available.
Those with information on the whereabouts of the child or the two adults can call 911, or the Augusta Police Department at 207-620-8383, McCausland said.
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