Springfield - UPI
A suspect was taken into custody in the abduction of a 10-year-old Hailey Owens, who remained missing, Springfield, Mo., police said. The Springfield Police said the suspect was found inside his vehicle at a residence Tuesday and that police began "an extensive search that will continue throughout the night, or until she is found," the Springfield News-Leader reported Wednesday. Hailey, a fourth-grade student, was snatched just a few blocks from her home, said mother Stacey Owens. A witness told the News-Leader he saw the man lure Hailey to his pickup truck then pull her inside the vehicle and drive away. Amber Alerts were issued in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Carlos Edwards told the News-Leader he and his wife were in the garage of their home when they saw Hailey taken. He said he chased after the truck while his wife jotted down the license plate number before calling police. Police said Hailey was taken by an unshaven white man in his early 40s with gray hair who reportedly was driving a gold 2008 Ford Ranger. "We don't know where Hailey is. ... We don't know if she knew this man. We don't think that she does," police said, adding that the girl's mother "does not know who is in that truck." Erin Petersen, an aunt, said she would do what she can to help find Hailey. "She's a very lively, bubbly, sweet little girl. She's spontaneous, very innocent," she said. "I'm in shock right now. I feel like I need to be productive to find my niece."