Overview
- Toronto police announced that Esther was located and found safe on Thursday after an almost two-week search and was taken to hospital for physical and emotional assessment.
- Multiple outlets report she was found inside a residential property in Etobicoke, though police have not disclosed the exact address or who was at the home when officers arrived.
- Officers escalated the case to a Level 1 missing-person response, deploying specialized units including canine, mounted, marine and drone teams and running a command post to coordinate the search.
- Hundreds of community volunteers, led in part by Shomrim and supported by local groups, sustained door-to-door searches and a public tip line, and organizers offered a $25,000 reward for information.
- Police say the operational focus now is investigative, including extensive video canvasses to trace the girl’s movements, and no charges have been laid as detectives determine whether criminal conduct occurred.