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Officials halt search for Alaska grandma after toddler found

Alaska State Troopers have have halted their search for a missing woman whose 2-year-old grandchild was found alone last week in a locked car stuck in mud on a rural road

Via AP news wire
Monday 18 July 2022 20:14 BST
Abandoned Child
Abandoned Child

Officials have ended their search for a woman whose 2-year-old grandchild was found alone last week in a locked car that stuck in mud on a rural Alaska road, authorities said.

No clues to the whereabouts of Mary Dawn Wilson, 69, have emerged since her Ford Focus was found last Thursday with the child and personal items believed to belong to her, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement on Saturday.

Authorities believe the child was alone in the car for two days.

The search was changed from “active” to a “reactive," meaning that a search could be launched again if officials receive new information or evidence, the statement said.

The statement added that at "this time, there is no evidence of foul play associated with Wilson’s disappearance.”

Wilson's car was found Thursday on Stampede Road, off the Parks Highway just outside the small community of Healy. Officials believe her vehicle got stuck on Tuesday and that she started walking away from the highway instead of toward it.

The toddler was initially handed over to the state Office of Children’s Services and appeared to be in good health, officials have said.

The child was later reunited with their mother, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Wilson had been watching the child while the mother was working in rural Alaska.

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