LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — As investigators continue searching for a missing 2-year-old who was abducted in Lansing, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for information that helps lead to the child's locations.
Wynter Cole-Smith is described as a 2-year-old Black girl with braided shoulder-length hair. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with rainbows.
The Lansing Police Department and the FBI provided an update on the case during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
Lansing Police Department Chief Ellery Sosebee said on Sunday around 11:20 p.m., Rashad Trice, the ex-boyfriend of Wynter's 22-year-old mother, was in an altercation with her. Wynter's mother was stabbed multiple times.
The mother was able to leave the house and go to a neighbor's home where she got help and called police. When police arrived, the suspect was gone and the victim's 2-year-old daughter was missing.
The paternal grandmother of Wynter says the two have a 1-year-old child together. The child Trice allegedly took was not his own child.
The mother was hospitalized and has since been released, police sad.
Trice was spotted in Detroit and arrested in St. Clair Shores around 6 a.m. Monday after a pursuit and crash. Wynter was not with Trice at the time of his arrest.
He was taken to a metro Detroit-area hospital and will be released in police custody. Trice could face charges in multiple jurisdictions, police said.
Multiple police agencies including the FBI came together to search for the missing toddler. A dive team searched the water, drones and helicopters hovered in the sky and deputies combed the area on foot.
"We speak for everyone, specifically the mother and the family, when we say we just want Wynter home safe. Since the Amber Alert, we have received countless tips and information on the whereabouts of Wynter. There are many teams and agencies working together in Lansing, Detroit and everywhere in between to follow up on all and every new piece of information that we get."
Authorities said they've spoken with known associates of Trice and are continuing to release information in hopes of getting help from the public.
"What we need now is the public's continued support and assistance," Sosebee said. "We are here today because we are dedicated and committed to bringing Wynter home. Wynter is one of our kids and we won't rest until we find her."
Officials shared known routes the suspect took from the Lansing area to metro Detroit.
Police are asking anyone near those routes to check their security cameras. They're also asking anyone who has seen anything out of the ordinary to report it to police.
"Please be cautious about spreading misinformation about this investigation. It's only harmful and sets us back in our efforts," Sosebee said.
Anyone who knows information about Wynter's location and does not share that with authorities could face charges.
“It’s a little girl. It’s a 2-year-old girl, my daughter. She shouldn’t have to go through this. She’s got her whole life ahead of her,” Wynter’s father Ajay Smith said.
Smith, who traveled to Michigan from Tennessee Monday night, is pleading for the safe return of his daughter.
Though each hour has felt like an eternity, Smith says it’s important to share a powerful message to all those working hard to find Wynter.
“I really want to say thank you. I appreciate you all. I just hope we can make it through the day and she can come back today or tomorrow, find her and get this over with,” Smith said.
The FBI says they're bringing in all the resources they have including several units within the department to assist in the search.
"First and foremost, our hearts are with Wynter Cole-Smith and her family. This is a horrific situation and the FBI has been involved in this investigation from the very beginning in support of Chief Sosebee and the Lansing Police Department," acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Devin Kowalski said.
Police are asking anyone who sees her or anyone with information on where she might be to call the Lansing Police Department at 517-483-4600, Crime Stoppers at 517-483-7867 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI and tips.fbi.gov.
