A six-year-old US girl was found in a room under a wooden staircase in New York after she was reported missing in 2019, AFP reported.
The girl, named Paislee Joann Shultis, was reported missing on 13 July 2019. She was found after the police received a tip that she was in a location around 240 km away from where she had disappeared.
At the time of her disappearance, the police had suspected her biological parents of kidnapping her. Her parents, Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr, had lost custody of their daughter in a legal battle.
The police statement said that after searching for an hour, the child was found in a makeshift room under the staircase.
"Upon removing the step boards, the child and her abductor, Kimberly Cooper Shultis, were found hiding in the dark and wet enclosure," according to the statement.
The police also said that the girl's biological parents had lied to them whenever they tried to follow up on the investigation after the girl's disappearance.
The police chief, Joseph Sinagra, told CNN that the police had visited their house a dozen times to follow up on leads.
Parents Charged With Crime
The police have pressed charges against the girl's parents, accusing them of custodial interference and putting the life of a child in danger.
The girl was driven to the police headquarters for a medical examination. On the way, she spotted a McDonald's and expressed her desire for a 'Happy Meal', which the police gladly obliged.
The girl, reportedly, is in good health.
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