Michigan Police Release Map in Hunt for Missing 2-Year-Old

A child's family say they are becoming increasingly worried for the safety of a 2-year-old girl who remains missing despite the capture and arrest of her alleged kidnapper.

Toddler Wynter Smith was allegedly taken by 26-year-old Rashad Maleek Trice. Trice is the ex-boyfriend of Smith's mother but is not her biological father.

An Amber Alert was issued at around 2:00 a.m. on Monday appealing for the public's help with an "urgent situation" after the child was allegedly abducted by Trice in a stolen car late on Sunday night from Lansing, Michigan. The girl's mother, who has not been named publicly, called police to say her former partner had stabbed her, before going on to take her daughter and flee the scene. Trice and Smith were last seen on the south side of Lansing in a 2013 white Chevrolet Impala at around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Trice was tracked down on Monday morning and arrested—but there was no sign of the child.

Police have now released a map showing the route believed to have been taken by Trice before he was apprehended. Detectives are appealing for drivers traveling that way to keep an eye out for anything that could help them find the missing girl.

Lansing Police posted an image of the route on Twitter, with an appeal to the public late on Monday night reading: "WE NEED YOUR HELP This is the route we believe that Rashad Trice may have taken with 2-year-old Wynter Smith in the car the night of 7/2. If you are driving on this route tomorrow, we ask you to watch out for anything unusual along the way that could possibly lead us to Wynter."

A follow-up tweet added: "If something catches your attention, even if it seems minor or inconsequential, we ask that you report it to the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The tip line will be fully staffed throughout the entire evening, so please call at any time."

The account later added: "Just for a reminder, the suspect was driving a white 2013 Chevrolet Impala, so if you saw this vehicle on that route (driving or stopped) between the hours of 11:15pm and 1:00 am, that could be important as well."

The police described the toddler as having "braided shoulder length hair and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with rainbows on it."

Trice was arrested in St. Clair Shores early Monday morning after a police chase saw him hit speeds of 100mph at some points before he collided with a police cruiser. The missing girl was not with him, and Trice was reportedly taken into custody shortly before 6:00 a.m. The suspect was hospitalized for his injuries along with an officer who was also hurt in the crash.

The local news station reported that police had been called to a home in the 3000 block of Beau Jardin Drive after a 22-year-old woman was assaulted. She alleged to officers that Trice had attacked her and taken off in her own car, when it was discovered her daughter was missing. The woman is being treated in hospital and is in a stable condition, according to police.

Sharen Eddings, the little girl's paternal grandmother, spoke to ABC 7 Detroit and said her heart sank when she heard the suspect had been found but her granddaughter had not. "My heart just dropped," she said. "I do have faith, but... that really knocked the wind out of me."

Clutching an item of clothing belonging to her granddaughter, she said it had been an anxious time for the family, adding: "We've been up all night, got the Amber Alert out, reaching out to... everybody I can."

She confirmed that Trice had been in a relationship with Smith's mom, and said the couple had a 1-year-old child together, but that was not the child he allegedly kidnapped.

She described her missing granddaughter as a smart girl, who could recite the alphabet and enjoyed pointing out letters. She begged for the community's help to bring the beloved toddler home.

Lansing Police have posted a message warning against misinformation after incorrect reports began circulating that the child had been found. "As our officers have been going from door to door and we've been talking to the community, we've been hearing from a lot of people who thought that 2-year-old Smith has been found. Unfortunately, that is not true," the police department account tweeted. "We are actively looking for Wynter."

Anyone with information that could lead police to Smith should call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Newsweek has reached out to Lansing Police by email for further information and comment.