Police continued to search Monday for a woman who allegedly abducted her daughter in Topsham on Sunday night, triggering a rarely used Amber Alert.
The daughter, 11, was taken from her foster care guardians’ home Sunday night by her biological mother, 29-year-old Danielle Dyer, according to Shannon Moss, Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson. The girl was abducted during a supervised visit at the guardians’ home in Topsham.
Topsham police asked the Maine State Police to activate the Amber Alert at about 8:45. Police subsequently obtained an arrest warrant for Dyer charging her with Criminal Restraint by a Parent.
State police tracked Dyer’s cell phone to the Horton Street neighborhood in Lewiston, and police searched the area around 9:33 p.m., but were unable to locate Dyer or her daughter.
“Through the course of the investigation, it was learned that Dyer has substance use disorder and that she would be traveling to the Lewiston area to seek drugs,” Moss said in the release.
At 10:46 p.m., the Amber Alert system was activated, but at 10:59 p.m., authorities received a call from an unidentified female who said the child had been left with her in Auburn. Auburn police found the girl unharmed, and the Amber Alert was canceled at 11:07 p.m.
Moss said Monday that there is an active warrant for Dyer’s arrest. Topsham police said she had not been found by late Monday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Topsham Police Department at (207) 725-4337.
Maine’s Amber Alert system, which has been in place since 2002, has only been activated five times, and each resulted in a missing child being located. The Amber Alert may only be used if a child 17 years old or younger is abducted, there is reason to believe the child is in serious danger, or there is information that could be used to inform the public and assist in the recovery of the child or apprehension of a suspect.
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