Girl who went missing at Reagan Airport found
Police say it appears JingJing Ma left without any force.
JinJing Ma, the 12-year-old girl who went missing from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia, was found "safe" and with her parents in Queens, N.Y., officials said Friday.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tweeted that the girl had been "found safe" and thanked the public "for sharing her poster."
The investigation is now being handled by the FBI, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police (MWAAP), which thanked several branches of law enforcement for their assistance.
"This is a great example of the work that can be accomplished when the community and law enforcement come together to achieve a common goal," MWAAP Chief David Huchler said. "We are grateful that Jinjing is safe and with family. Our goal was to locate her and ensure whe was safe and unharmed, and we have accomplished that goal."
The girl came to the U.S. with a tour group and was believed to have been abducted around 8:15 a.m. on Thursday by an unidentified Asian female whom she encountered at the airport, officials previously said.
She was reported missing while going through departures, a MWAAP official said during a news conference Thursday.
Upon leaving the airport, she was seen entering a white Infiniti vehicle with New York tags, the official said, adding that she was considered to be "in extreme danger" due to her age.
The Asian woman in question was observed entering the airport with a male who was believed to be driving the vehicle, the police official said. The girl reportedly did not leave the building by force.
The girl had been approached by a mystery couple during an earlier sightseeing tour of New York City, officials said Friday before it was announced that she'd been found. She reportedly arrived in New York on June 26.
Huchler said investigators were working to determine what the couple said to the 12-year-old outside of what appeared to be the World Trade Center.
"We are in the process of trying to determine the identity of these individuals but it does appear that they are connected to the incident here," Huchler told reporters. "It appears there was some familiarity, but I don't know if it is a cordial exchange but that is something we are trying to verify at this time.
"We believe the contact up in New York is connected to the contact here," he added.
Fox News' Greg Norman and Ben Florance contributed to this report.
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
