Missing 7-year-old believed to be in danger is found safe, South Carolina cops say
A missing 7-year-old girl once believed to be in danger has been found safe, South Carolina officials said.
A search had been underway for Lillian Constine and her father, Christopher Ryan Constine. Officials started looking for the two overnight Wednesday, Aug. 24, but hadn’t found them hours later, according to the Hanahan Police Department.
The Charleston-area police force said the father took his daughter from an area where officers later responded to a domestic dispute.
“The North Charleston Police Department located the suspect’s vehicle, at which time he led them on a chase to the Hampton Park area of Charleston where he fled on foot,” officers wrote. “Multiple searches were conducted in the area and neither the child nor suspect were located.”
At about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office and Charleston Police Department in Twitter posts asked people to avoid the Hampton Park area as it was being searched in connection with a potential kidnapping.
The girl’s dad is considered a suspect in the case, WCBD and WCSC reported.
As of about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, officials said Lillian had been found safe, thanks to help from the FBI and Charleston police. The update didn’t include details about the girl’s father.
Police said the girl’s dad “may be a threat to himself or others.” Officers didn’t share additional details about the events that unfolded overnight but said he’s facing arrest warrants, including for “unlawful conduct towards a child.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or police at 843-747-5711.
The Hanahan Police Department didn’t immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on Thursday, Aug. 25.
This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 9:32 AM.
