A six-year-old girl has been rescued in Kansas after the SUV she was traveling in was pulled over due to a traffic violation.
In a stroke of sheer luck, the Kansas Highway Patrol trooper pulled the vehicle over for an unknown traffic violation on Saturday (March 22) and discovered two men in their 60s, and one young girl in the car.
However, alarm bells quickly started ringing for the trooper while doing routine checks on the men, when they discovered that the man in the front passenger seat had a warrant for his arrest for kidnapping a six-year-old girl in another state just one month earlier.
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The man driving the vehicle also had a checkered criminal history, including homicide and multiple weapons violations.
The child, who appeared to be around the same age as the girl who had gone missing, was safely removed from the vehicle, however when questioned by the trooper, she initially gave a fake name and date of birth.
"This six-year-old girl gave the trooper a false name and date of birth, after having been coached to do so, in an attempt to keep the adult out of jail," the Kansas Highway Patrol said in a statement.
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"Ultimately, our trooper calmed the girl down and got her to tell him her real name."
Officers were then able to confirm the child was in fact the little girl who had been kidnapped in another state and she remained unharmed.
The two men were taken into custody and the investigation into the alleged kidnapping remains ongoing.
The agency has since released a further statement, thanking the public for their support of the Kansas Highway Patrol and for the trooper involved.
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"This is an incredible story that highlights the unpredictable nature of a trooper’s job and the real impact they can have on people’s lives," they said.
While many people have understandably taken an interest in the case, officers have said they're unable to share any more information in a bid to keep the child's identity protected while the case continues.
"We have received many requests for more details of the stop. Unfortunately, we are unable to release any further details of this incident so that we can continue to protect the identity of the child and integrity of open cases. We appreciate your understanding as we continue our investigation," the Kansas Highway Patrol added.
UNILAD has contacted the Kansas Highway Patrol for further comment.
Emma Rosemurgey