Columbus police recovered a child early Friday after an abduction reported out of Union County, tracking the case to a west Columbus grocery store parking lot near Hilliard. Officers followed a cellphone ping to the area, where they found the child unharmed and took a suspect into custody, according to authorities. Plain City police are set to lead the investigation while the suspect awaits transport back to Union County.
Columbus officers told NBC4 they were dispatched to the Meijer on Hilliard Rome Road after receiving a ping from the suspect’s cellphone and began combing the area just before 2:45 a.m. The outlet reported officers located the child in the store’s parking lot and confirmed no injuries. Police said the suspect is someone already known to investigators.
Where officers say the child was located
Police converged on the Meijer store along Hilliard Rome Road in west Columbus, zeroing in on the lot tied to the phone signal. Local business listings place that Meijer at 1661 Hilliard Rome Rd., an address also listed on mapping services, per MapQuest.
Custody, next steps and who is leading the probe
The suspect was taken into custody at the scene and is awaiting transport back to Union County, Columbus police told NBC4. Plain City police are handling the investigation and have asked anyone with information to contact their department. Officials have not yet released the child’s age or the suspect’s identity.
