Amber Alert
Updated: October 4, 2012
Latest: 10:07 pm, 10/3/12, Wednesday
STARK COUNTY -- The father of a 3-week old baby, left on the side of the road, is speaking out. Last week, Mia Thompson vanished.
Her mother told police she'd been taken from her car. Hours later, the baby was found in a ditch by volunteers. Her mother, Kendra Meaker, was arrested and charged for child endangerment and for lying to police.
But, Timothy Thompson says she had always been a "good and loving mother." He offered no suggestion as to why this happened.
Thompson says he's thankful for everyone who helped him get his daughter back. He says he'll also let Meaker see Mia again, if the court allows it.
Latest: 5:07 pm, 9/28/12, Friday
STARK COUNTY -- A mother has been charged in the disappearance of her 3-week old daughter. 19-year old Kendra Meaker was in court Friday. She's charged with child endangerment and obustructing justice. Bond was set at $100,000.
Mia Thompson was reported missing Thursday morning from the back seat of Meaker's car. Police say she drove to a remote area and abandoned the 3-week old, leaving her in a ditch. Volunteers followed the baby's cries and found her literally clinging onto the weeds for dear life.
Latest: 10:07 pm, 9/27/12, Thursday
STARK COUNTY -- The search for a missing Toulon toddler is over and her mother has been arrested. An Amber Alert was canceled after authorities found 3-week old Mia Graci Thompson. Her mother, 19-year-old Kendra Meaker, has been arrested, according to the Stark County Sheriff's Department.
Thompson was reported missing Thursday around 8:10 am from the back seat of her mother's vehicle. The Amber Alert was canceled around 8 pm. The child was missing for nearly 12 hours.
Police say the child was found alive in a ditch in rural Stark County by volunteer searchers. She was taken to the hospital in Peoria. The Stark County Sheriff says it's unknown who left the child in the ditch. Police are still questioning the baby's father. He has not been arrested.
Thursday morning, the mother told police she went to the post office, and when she came back home she realized the child was gone. But her 11-month old daughter was still in the car.
Beginning at 10 am, Amber Alerts nationwide were asking people to look for a suspected woman driving a gold Pontiac or Buick. Just after 5 pm police said that description was false and there was no suspect. Shortly before 8 pm, the child was found, followed by Meaker's arrest.
Update: 6:45 pm, 9/27/12, Thursday
TOULON -- A big development in the missing baby case near Peoria. Police now say they don't have a suspect.
The girl's mother went into a post office and left her two babies in the car. This was in Toulon, about 40 miles north of Peoria. Police now say she drove all the way home before she noticed the three week old was kidnapped.
Mia Graci Thompson is 8 lbs., 21" long. She was last seen wearing a yellow onsie with a flower on the left shoulder and blue jeans with pink flowers on the cuffs.
Police initially said they were looking for a woman in a gold or tan car. Now they say they have no information on a suspect or a vehicle. If you have information, call 911.
Original 12:13 pm, 9/27/12, Thursday
TOULON -- An Amber Alert has been issued after a baby was abducted from a post office in a small town in west central Illinois.
STARK COUNTY -- The father of a 3-week old baby, left on the side of the road, is speaking out. Last week, Mia Thompson vanished.
Her mother told police she'd been taken from her car. Hours later, the baby was found in a ditch by volunteers. Her mother, Kendra Meaker, was arrested and charged for child endangerment and for lying to police.
But, Timothy Thompson says she had always been a "good and loving mother." He offered no suggestion as to why this happened.
Thompson says he's thankful for everyone who helped him get his daughter back. He says he'll also let Meaker see Mia again, if the court allows it.
Latest: 5:07 pm, 9/28/12, Friday
STARK COUNTY -- A mother has been charged in the disappearance of her 3-week old daughter. 19-year old Kendra Meaker was in court Friday. She's charged with child endangerment and obustructing justice. Bond was set at $100,000.
Mia Thompson was reported missing Thursday morning from the back seat of Meaker's car. Police say she drove to a remote area and abandoned the 3-week old, leaving her in a ditch. Volunteers followed the baby's cries and found her literally clinging onto the weeds for dear life.
Latest: 10:07 pm, 9/27/12, Thursday
STARK COUNTY -- The search for a missing Toulon toddler is over and her mother has been arrested. An Amber Alert was canceled after authorities found 3-week old Mia Graci Thompson. Her mother, 19-year-old Kendra Meaker, has been arrested, according to the Stark County Sheriff's Department.
Thompson was reported missing Thursday around 8:10 am from the back seat of her mother's vehicle. The Amber Alert was canceled around 8 pm. The child was missing for nearly 12 hours.
Police say the child was found alive in a ditch in rural Stark County by volunteer searchers. She was taken to the hospital in Peoria. The Stark County Sheriff says it's unknown who left the child in the ditch. Police are still questioning the baby's father. He has not been arrested.
Thursday morning, the mother told police she went to the post office, and when she came back home she realized the child was gone. But her 11-month old daughter was still in the car.
Beginning at 10 am, Amber Alerts nationwide were asking people to look for a suspected woman driving a gold Pontiac or Buick. Just after 5 pm police said that description was false and there was no suspect. Shortly before 8 pm, the child was found, followed by Meaker's arrest.
Update: 6:45 pm, 9/27/12, Thursday
TOULON -- A big development in the missing baby case near Peoria. Police now say they don't have a suspect.
The girl's mother went into a post office and left her two babies in the car. This was in Toulon, about 40 miles north of Peoria. Police now say she drove all the way home before she noticed the three week old was kidnapped.
Mia Graci Thompson is 8 lbs., 21" long. She was last seen wearing a yellow onsie with a flower on the left shoulder and blue jeans with pink flowers on the cuffs.
Police initially said they were looking for a woman in a gold or tan car. Now they say they have no information on a suspect or a vehicle. If you have information, call 911.
Original 12:13 pm, 9/27/12, Thursday
TOULON -- An Amber Alert has been issued after a baby was abducted from a post office in a small town in west central Illinois.
The baby girl, Mia Graci Thompson, was abducted from the post office in Toulon at 8:10 am, Thursday, Illinois State Police said.
Mia is described as white, 8 lbs. and 21" long, with brown hair. The Amber Alert says she is 3 weeks old, but Toulon city officials said she is 4 months old.
She was last seen wearing a yellow onesie with a flower on the left shoulder, and blue jeans with a pink flower on the cuff.
The suspect is a white woman with brown hair wearing yellow sweat pants, who escaped in a tan or gold Buick or Pontiac, state police said. License plate information was not immediately available.
Toulon is a town of about 1,300 people, and serves as the county seat of Stark County. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 and say he or she has an Amber Alert report.
