On Tuesday evening, the 9th of January, police officers in Kaunas found the missing nine-year-old girl Agota, who had been missing since Sunday. The girl was found alive and well, and taken to a hospital in Kaunas, reports Lithuanian public media.
Police Commissioner General Renats Požėla said at a press conference overnight on Wednesday that the girl was able to speak, although she had sustained some injuries. Medical specialists were checking her condition at a hospital in Kaunas and her parents were by her side, he said.
The girl was found locked in a garage near the scene of the abduction.
According to Kaunas Police Chief Mindaugas Baršys, the girl was allegedly abducted by a 42-year-old man. The crime is considered serious, and the suspect is said to have carefully planned the crime, which raises concerns for the authorities.
Authorities have indicated that the garage where the girl was found did not resemble a typical car garage. In addition, the garage was soundproofed, indicating that it may have been prepared for hostage-taking, Baršys said.
The suspect in this case has been detained for two days, and a hearing on his detention is likely to take place at the end of this detention period.
The authorities have not provided information on the motivation for the crime.
The girl, born in 2014, disappeared on Sunday at around 16:30 in Kaunas. She was last seen when she went to a public transport stop to go to a shop. Hundreds of police officers were involved in the search, along with volunteers from all over Lithuania.
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