From the US Marshals Service:
US Marshals Service, Chicago PD recover child missing for over 7 years
CHICAGO – The U.S. Marshals Service Northern District of Illinois, in coordination with the USMS Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and Chicago Police Department, have safely recovered a child missing for seven years.
On May 23, 2018, an infant was reported missing by the Department of Children and Family Services who had custody of the infant after the child was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.
According to the initial DCFS report, it was suspected that the infant was with the biological mother but was not safe with her, pending further investigation.
However, before the child could be safely recovered, the mother fled from the authorities.
On May 07, 2025 the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the mother for contempt of court, stemming from a years-long court battle to have the child returned.
July 09, 2025 the Chicago Police Department requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service in the Northern District of Illinois in locating and recovering the child.
Further investigation by the USMS and CPD Internet Crimes Against Children unit into the potential whereabouts of the fugitive and missing child revealed a possible residence in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.
Surveillance conducted at the Chicago address confirmed that the mother was there.
Furthermore, many children and adults were seen going in and out of the residence, including the missing child’s older sibling who was wanted by the CPD for aggravated criminal sexual assault of a child.
On July 17, 2025 the USMS, along with the GLRFTF and CPD ICAC unit established surveillance once again at the Chicago address.
This time the child’s mother exited the residence with a stroller, along with a teenager and younger child who resembled the missing child, although several years older since the child had been missing more than seven years.
The decision was made to approach and apprehend the mother, who was taken into custody without
incident.
Initially a fake name was provided for the child, but when investigators used the child’s real name, the child was surprised but later acknowledged their actual name.
Two other children, an infant and a toddler, were in the stroller.
The teenager was identified as the sibling of the children present.
Due to the conditions of the children, DCFS took custody of all the children, including the teenager.
The mother was arrested on her outstanding warrants and booked into the Cook County Jail.
The missing child, who is a ward of the state, was returned to DCFS.
The older sibling wanted for aggravated criminal sexual assault was arrested the following day by GLRFTF from information derived from the recovery.
In May 2015, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act was passed and clarified the USMS’ discretionary authority to support law enforcement requests for assistance on any missing child cases. As such, the USMS assists state, local, and other federal law enforcement agencies, upon request, in locating and recovering missing children, while focusing agency resources on “critically missing child” cases – those that involve a suspected crime of violence or where factors are identified by law enforcement that indicates an elevated risk to a missing child.
The USMS Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U. S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, GLRFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin to assist state, county, and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.
