BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Authorities searching for missing 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney say a search of a Birmingham apartment complex did not turn up signs of the child.
Multiple police officers descended on a small apartment development Wednesday morning in Birmingham less than 10 miles from where the child was last seen Saturday at a birthday party.
Authorities didn’t immediately explain what was going on in their search, but they said they would provide an update as the search continued. Live video from news outlets showed police blocking off a street and the sound of a law enforcement helicopter overhead. News video also showed officers in helmets and other tactical gear entering an apartment building. People who appeared to be residents milled around the entrance as the officers walked by.
A man and a woman described as persons of interest were arrested and charged with crimes that police said were unrelated to the girl’s disappearance. But police said they don’t know where the child might be.
A police spokesman, Sgt. Johnny Williams, says officers were acting on a tip. But he says police searched every apartment and vehicle in the complex and didn’t find the child.
Inaccurate media reports that the child had been found flooded social media Wednesday afternoon before police clarified that such reports were incorrect.
The reward for information leading to the child’s safe return and the apprehension of her kidnappers is now up to $25,000, including $5,000 from the Governor’s Office and $20,000 from Crime Stoppers.
Anyone with information about where the child could be is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777 or call Birmingham police.