Missing Girl In Stolen Minivan Found Safe, Man Arrested

PORTLAND, OR — A 6-year-old girl is safe and a 26-year-old man is under arrest after a massive search involving more than 50 police officers turned up the stolen minivan in which the girl was sitting Thursday morning, police said.

The unidentified girl was unharmed and is back with her family, police said.

Colton Ian Suckow faces charges of kidnapping and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, police said. Officials say that Suckow is in custody as the investigation continues.

The incident started around 7:45 a.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Providence Portland Medical Center on Northeast Glisan Street.

A family had driven up to the emergency room in a gold Ford Windstar, police said. The girl's unidentified mother, sitting in the passenger seat, had not been feeling well. The father, who was also not identified, jumped out of the driver's side to grab a wheelchair, police said. The daughter sat in back.

The father left the minivan running while he helped the mother into the wheelchair, police said. In that brief moment, a man got into the minivan and sped away with the girl in the back, police said.

The parents yelled for help, and hospital security staff members were able to determine the identify of the man who took the van, police said.

Suckow had just been released from Providence after being there on a police officer's hold, police said. Under Oregon law, an officer may take a person into custody who the officer has probable cause to believe is dangerous to himself or another person and is in need of immediate care, custody or treatment for mental illness.

Hospital security had called for a cab for Suckow but he apparently decided not to wait for it, according to police.

The cab company told officers where Suckow had planned to take the cab. Officers headed to that location, police said. More than 50 officers were assigned to find the minivan and the girl, police dispatch logs showed.

Police found the minivan withing an hour near the intersection of Southeast 54th Avenue and Mitchell Street. Police said that officers saw Suckow walking back to the minivan and arrested hm without incident.

The girl was still strapped into her seat in the back of the minivan.

Portland police East Precinct chief, Cmdr. Erica Hurley, praised the officers for reuniting the family.

"Your officers found this scared little girl safely within the hour," she said. "It's just another example of the great work our officers do on a daily basis."