OHIO — A 48-year-old man has been arrested on a kidnapping charge connected to a statewide AMBER Alert on Friday.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the 13-year-old child was last seen in Franklin County on S Huron Avenue in Columbus around 10:08 a.m.
According to police, Shane Steven Smith, 48, allegedly abducted the girl. Franklin County Municipal Court records indicate that Smith is the girl’s stepfather.
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Smith was last seen driving a White 2004 Ford Ranger, which was later found by Clark County Sheriff’s deputies in the 1400 block of Styer Drive in Park Layne around 4:45 p.m.
Park Layne resident Randall Menefee said he was concerned to see this unfold in his community.
“I mean, I’m sitting here shaking inside, and it’s not even my child,” Menefee said.
Franklin County Municipal Court records indicate that the girl’s father said his cameras recorded her taking the cat and leaving their house on South Huron Avenue around 5 a.m.
The father said the school bus doesn’t pick her up until 6 a.m. and the middle school said she never arrived.
Columbus Division of Police detectives contacted the school counselor and learned that the girl was in contact with Smith.
According to court records, Smith was going to pick the girl up and take her to a different state to start a new life as a couple.
Columbus police issued a statewide AMBER Alert for the 13-year-old around 3:45 p.m.
The alert was canceled around 6:20 p.m. after the girl was found safe at a relative’s house in Springfield.
Police arrested Smith on a kidnapping charge along Stanton Avenue in Springfield Friday night.
News Center 7 has also learned that Smith has open felonious assault and drug cases in Clark County Court of Commons Pleas court.
We will continue to follow this story and provide updates.
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