New York

Missing 8-Year-Old Girl Found Safe at Newark Penn Station: Police

An 8-year-old girl who had been missing for more than 12 hours in New Jersey has been found at Newark Penn Station, police said. 

Police in New Jersey had stepped up search efforts after Nevaeh Blaine was reported missing on Sunday, authorities said. She was found safe by a woman around 11 p.m., about 13 hours after she was reported missing. 

A group of dedicated community mothers had put out their phone numbers for anyone to call them with information regarding the whereabouts of Nevaeh. 

One woman called their tip line and sent them over to the station. That is when a group of mothers rushed over there and split up to try to find the girl.  

Janice Reddick, who found Nevaeh, told News 4 that she saw the child sitting on a bench waiting for a bus. 

"I walked up to her and said 'Is your name Nevaeh?'" Reddick said. "She said yes and I snatched her off the bench and I ran with her."

Reddick said she took Nevaeh directly to police. 

Reddick said Nevaeh's heart was beating fast, she was a little dirty and she was trembling a bit when she found her, but she was otherwise OK. Reddick said a woman tried to stop her from taking Nevaeh. It wasn't immediately clear who the woman was or the relationship, if any, she had with Nevaeh. 

Nevaeh had been playing at the community playground at the Joseph P. Bradley Court Housing Projects on Munn Avenue in Newark around 9:45 a.m. when she disappeared. A witness told police they saw her walking in the direction of a bodega on Blank Road, but the worker said he saw a lot of kids and can't be certain if Nevaeh was ever there. 

A police helicopter was seen flying over the scene while officers combed the area and handed out flyers to passing drivers. 

It wasn't immediately clear why Nevaeh was at Newark Penn Station, nor was it clear how she got there. 

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