Arkansas police found a teen girl from North Carolina who went missing on February 11 after being lured by an online predator. Following a pursuit, police found the suspect critically wounded in his car from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Savannah Childress, 14, went missing from her home in Davidson County, North Carolina, on February 11, WTVD ABC11 reported. Investigators learned the young girl utilized a school-issued computer to chat with an online predator.
Investigators also learned the man spoke online with other girls in Alamance County, the report states. Police identified the suspect as William Rober Ice from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
Local police teamed up with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police after obtaining warrants for Ice on charges of first-degree kidnapping and soliciting a child by computer.
A nationwide manhunt led investigators to Arkansas on February 20, where two Lonoke police officers observed two people in the suspect’s vehicle at a McDonald’s parking lot, FOX 8 reported. The officers ordered the driver to exit the vehicle.
Ice reportedly complied with the order and then pulled a gun on the local police officers. He opened fire, striking and critically wounding one of the Lonoke officers. He then jumped back in his car and fled as the second officer returned fire.
The Fox affiliate stated that an Arkansas State Police trooper spotted the fleeing vehicle and began a pursuit. The suspect lost control of the vehicle after exiting Arkansas Highway 31 onto Raprich Road. Ice became stuck in a snowbank and Childress jumped out of the car to escape.
The trooper approached the vehicle and found Ice critically wounded from what is reported to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An ambulance transported Ice to a Little Rock, Arkansas, hospital where he died on Sunday.
Investigators identified the passenger as the missing 14-year-old girl from North Carolina.
Further investigation revealed Ice was also wanted by Pennsylvania authorities for other alleged child-predator cases, Fox 8 stated.
The Fox affiliate published a statement from Kandi Bremer, a friend of the Childress family, expressing their gratitude to the officers who helped find their daughter:
We are all very thankful that Savannah has been found. We do ask that everyone please understand that the family needs time for themselves right now. And when they are able to they will do an interview. We would like to continue to thank our community and everyone who shared Savanna’s picture. All the news channels who helped get it out there. The family is so grateful for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers that their daughter has received. Just continue to please pray for them all as they try to overcome and heal from everything that has happened.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s Sunday-morning talk show, What’s Your Point? Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX, Parler @BobPrice, and Facebook.
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