The father of the Edmonton girl who has been missing for nine days said he was preparing to post another update on Facebook last Saturday when police knocked on his door.
“And they just said, ‘Look, we’ve got good news.’ So we met with the police, three detectives came. And we were told that my daughter was in Portland, that she was in the care of the FBI,” said the father, who is not being identified by CTV News to protect the identity of his daughter. , he recounted it on Tuesday morning. “It was surreal, my legs buckled, I couldn’t believe it. It was honestly as good as the day she was born. So we booked flights and were at the airport in an hour.”
The 13-year-old girl went missing on Friday, June 24, and was found in Oregon City, Oregon, on July 2.
Noah Madrano, 40, was charged with kidnapping, rape and sexual assault by the Clackamas County district attorney on Tuesday afternoon, court documents show, with bail set at $500,000.
Noah Madrano, 40, was arrested in Oregon after an Edmonton teenager was missing for more than a week. (Source: Facebook)
The Clackamas District Attorney told CTV News the US government is expected to file more charges, and the Edmonton Police Service said the defendant would be charged with child enticement.
“We’re really confident he’s not going to be released on bail at this point and we really hope he’s not,” the victim’s father said. “They have assured us that they will press for him to remain behind bars.”
‘THE MEETING WITH HER WAS AMAZING’
The father said the FBI took his daughter to the family’s hotel room.
The girl, who is not the “most caring person” according to her father, hugged her parents “pretty tight.”
“It was a lot of tears, a lot of hugs,” he said. “Her reunion with her was amazing.”
The father said they are doing well and enjoying spending time together with family and friends.
“We’re all really shocked by this. It’s pretty surreal. But then again, we’re surrounded by so many people right now.”
‘INNOCENT CONVERSATIONS TURNED VERY SINISTER’
The victim’s father says the defendant spoke to his daughter on multiple online platforms.
“What I can say is that this happened, what my daughter thought were innocent conversations turned very sinister online,” her father said.
“Unfortunately, my daughter was that target. She was drawn to this individual.”
On Saturday, EPS said it believed the defendant arrived in Edmonton and then spent several days in Mission, BC, with the victim before crossing the border.
During the nine days of her disappearance, family and friends searched for the victim throughout Edmonton and put up hundreds of posters.
Her father believes those efforts and the online attention gave police time to investigate and ultimately find her.
“She saw her face, she saw the coverage, she saw me, my friends and family in the news report, on Facebook, looking her up,” he said. “I strongly believe that’s why it took so long to cross the border. She was barricaded in certain areas, they couldn’t move and that’s why it was so important. He had intentions for my daughter, and I truly believe.” that with the help of the public and all the businesses and the media, she stopped this from happening and really slowed it down long enough that the police had time to find her.”
Now he urges parents not to let their guard down, emphasizing that the Internet is a “very dangerous place.”
In a statement, the defendant’s family said:
“No word from us will alleviate the trauma that the young victim and her family have experienced. If such words existed, we would offer them with all the pain and anguish that fills our hearts. Our greatest hope is that this young man and his family are able to heal, through a combination of time, support and love.
“We love Noah unconditionally, which includes loving him even through the most unthinkable acts. Our love does not mean that we condone, condone, or minimize these acts; vehemently, we do not. There is no excuse for harming a child. We ask that our privacy be respected so that we can begin processing these events.”