Updated: Amber Alert cancelled

Sep 16, 2018 | 8:50 PM

UPDATE 7:29 AM: 

The Amber Alert issued last night has been cancelled. The subject of the alert was located safe within the City of North Battleford. The child was found at approximately 6:45 a.m. and is being provided with medical attention at this time. Saskatchewan RCMP wish to thank the public and the media for their assistance in this matter.

LIVE RCMP press conference Monday, 11am:

 

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This is an activation of the Amber Alert system at the request of North Battleford RCMP.

They say a child has been abducted from outside of a strip mall at 11204 Railway Ave. in North Battleford. The vehicle she was in was believed to have been stolen.

 

The victim is a six-year-old caucasian female child named Emma O’Keeffe. She has brown jaw-length hair, is 3 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 44 pounds and was last seen wearing a navy blue long sleeve t-shirt, black jeans, pink socks, no shoes, and wearing a diaper.

Emma suffers from epilepsy and autism. She is non-verbal and unable to walk.

At this time, police have no description of the suspect. 

The suspect is believed to be driving the stolen dark gray 2010, Mercedes Benz GL350 Bluetec SUV with Saskatchewan license plate 897-HMX.

If you have any information about this abduction, please call 9-1-1 or your local policing authority, or 1-877-SOAMBER or 1-877-762-6237 or email fdiv_amber_alert@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Do not attempt to approach or apprehend the suspect. Call police immediately.

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UPDATE: At a media briefing later Sunday evening, RCMP confirmed the abduction occurred at 5:20 p.m. Police also stressed this was ‘not a parental abduction.’ The vehicle had been left running with the girl inside and it was stolen. RCMP added the Amber Alert was to be extended to Alberta and Manitoba because of the potential range the SUV could go.

Investigators have learned that 6-year-old Emma O’Keeffe requires medication every 12 hours. She requires this medication to be taken in a strict time frame. Missing a dose could lead to extreme medical distress.

Investigators were alerting gas stations across western Canada to be on the look out for this stolen SUV.  The vehicle will require gas and may attempt to stop and fill up at some point.

Emma’s parents made a plea for the safe return of their daughter in a video posted on Facebook by Saskatchewan RCMP.

 

 

 

Highly trained investigators have been deployed to the North Battleford’s area and the RCMP Major Crime Unit is leading the investigation. Additional resources have been deployed: A helicopter from Alberta RCMP and airplane from Saskatchewan RCMP are on standby in the event a search location is identified.