A three-year-old girl reported missing from a home near Medina was found safe Wednesday afternoon after a two-hour search, according to Medina Police Chief Edward R. Kinney.
Police say the child was reported missing around 1:30 p.m. after officers responded to a residence on Hunter Road in Lafayette Township. A large-scale search began immediately, involving K-9 units, drones, all-terrain vehicles and social media alerts. The Medina County Child Abduction Response Team was also activated.
Investigators received a tip through social media that led officers to a residence on Buffham Road in Westfield Township, where the child was found unharmed. She was taken to Medina Hospital for precautionary evaluation before being reunited with her mother.
Authorities identified the suspect as Randy Lawrence Kerley, 39, of Seville, who they say unlawfully entered the Hunter Road home and took the child without permission. Kerley, a family acquaintance, has been charged with kidnapping (felony 2) and burglary (felony 2). Additional charges are pending review by the Medina County Grand Jury. He is being held in the Medina County Jail.
Chief Kinney praised the quick collaboration among several agencies, including the Medina County Sheriff’s Office, Seville Police Department, Wadsworth Police Department, Brunswick Hills Police Department, and the Lafayette Township Fire Department.
“When a child goes missing, every minute matters,” Kinney said. “The teamwork, technology, and communication displayed during this incident made all the difference in bringing this little girl home safely.”
