Facebook Profile Helps Lead Police To Missing Monee Girl

MONEE, IL — A missing Monee girl has been found safe and reunited with her mother, after a newly created Facebook tipped police off and helped them find her, police said Friday.

The profile, created June 13, was linked to the juvenile, who was reported missing by her mother on May 31, police said.

"Through extensive internet search resources, detectives obtained several leads of her possible whereabouts," police said Friday.

One day later and with cooperation from other municipalities, Monee police found a cell phone number linked to the missing girl. Detectives traced the telephone number to a 32-year-old man who worked as a truck driver for a suburban trucking company. Detectives contacted the company and were able to obtain the GPS location for the truck that the man was driving.

Monee police located the vehicle at a truck stop in southwestern Iowa, Pottawattamie County. Police immediately contacted the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and provided them with the details.

Deputies quickly responded to the area, found the truck with the man and the girl inside, and took the girl into protective custody.

Monee police then arranged for her transport back to Illinois, where she was safely returned home to her mother. The man was released in Iowa and the investigation into his involvement is ongoing.

"The successful and safe resolution to this incident was made possible by the cooperation of multiple agencies, internet providers and private companies," Monee police said.