Missing girl found safe in Lynn; police investigating

LYNN – A 12-year-old girl who became missing earlier this week was found Thursday, and police are investigating the incident.Police and the girl’s mother, Chanel McClurkin, said officers found the girl shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday.The girl, identified as Aniyjha Rhoden, had last been seen on Franklin Street in Lynn walking towards Western Avenue Tuesday at about 8 p.m.McClurkin and several family members came into the Lynn Police Station at approximately 1 p.m. Thursday saying somebody had told them they heard scanner reports that the child was found.After receiving confirmation that the child was with detectives, McClurkin asked if a woman, which she later said had been with the child during the past few days, had been located. McClurkin then screamed, “She’s there! She’s across the street,” and pointed out a woman to police. Officers rushed outside and began speaking with a woman and two other bystanders, momentarily tying up traffic as the child’s family rushed outside and confronted the other party.Police later took the woman inside in handcuffs but said as of Thursday evening that nobody has been charged in connection with the alleged incident. Police said a woman, whom the girl’s family identified as the woman the child had allegedly been with, was currently in custody on default warrants for motor-vehicle charges.Lynn Police Lt. Rick Donnelly said Thursday afternoon that a person contacted Lynn Police juvenile detectives earlier that morning saying they would drop off the child. He said detectives and workers from the Department of Children and Families arranged to pick up the child at a location in the Highlands. He said the child appeared to be in good condition and that police were speaking with her about what had happened.McClurkin said Thursday afternoon that the woman in custody had previously lived with the family but had recently been told to leave. She said she had not as of yet spoken to her daughter. She could not be reached Thursday evening.