Missing Minor Kernisha Etienne
A national search effort continues five days after a 12-year old girl was reportedly abducted from her home in Dominica.
Information from the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force is that Kernisha Etienne was last seen at her residence in Warner on Tuesday night, about 11:30 pm. There, her alleged kidnapper, Kian Alexander, was visiting his uncle, Kernisha's adopted father.
Alexander reportedly began attacking the man, chopping him with with a cutlass to his head and face. As he made his escape, Alexander is said to have grabbed the 12-year old and carried her into nearby bushes.
Her adoptive father was subsequently taken to the Dominica China Friendship hospital for treatment.
The current working theory is that immediately after her abduction, Kernisha was taken up into the hills, where she may still be.
The search for the little girl has taken on monumental proportions, with hundreds of volunteers showing up to bolster the efforts of law enforcement personnel and forestry officials.
As search efforts continue, the Dominican Government has been seeking assistance from regional counterparts to bolster the capacity of search parties on the ground.
In a recent update, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that through his discussions with the French Embassy in St Lucia, he was able to secure a helicopter for teams to use to conduct aerial searches of the area where the girl is suspected to be. The French have also deployed a team with a sniffer dog to aid in the search. Skerrit also expressed sincere thanks to the many volunteers who have gotten involved in the ongoing rescue efforts.
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