Makenzie Hall, 13, was last seen on South Huron Avenue, according to the alert. Our news partner WBNS in Columbus reported she was seen at 10:08 a.m. on that street near Westgate Park in the Hilltop neighborhood.
WBNS reported that Franklin County Municipal Court documents say that Makenzie’s father said his cameras caught his daughter taking her cat and leaving the house on South Huron Avenue at 5:08 a.m. He told police that the school bus doesn’t come until 6 a.m. to pick the girl up for school, and when he contacted the middle school she attends he learned she had not arrived, documents said.
Detectives contacted the school counselor and found that the girl was in contact with Smith, her stepfather.
According to court records Smith was going to pick her up and take her to another state to start a new life as a couple.
An Amber Alert was issued along with an arrest warrant for Smith, who was charged with kidnapping.
WBNS reported that Makenzie’s family said she was found safe at her grandmother’s house in Springfield, and the alert was canceled around 6:25 p.m.
Springfield police said they had received word at about 10:20 a.m. to check for Makenzie and their officers and detectives worked with Columbus police to find her. Police confirmed that she was found safe at about 6:10 p.m. in the city and said that her parents were with her.
The alert involved a white 2004 Ford Ranger pictured below. The pickup truck has a Steelers sticker on the bottom left of its rear window, and a skull and crossed guns sticker in the middle. According to WBNS, authorities found the Ranger in Clark County. The Springfield Division of Police said Smith was apprehended and arrested by the Clark Count Sheriff’s Office Friday night.
Smith also has two open criminal cases in Clark County Common Pleas Court. According to court records, in one of the cases Smith was charged with felonious assault and discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, and in the other case he was charged with possession of drugs, all felonies.
Smith was scheduled for trial Nov. 19 on the assault and discharging a firearm charges, and on Dec. 2 for the drug possession charge, according to court documents.
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