Photo Courtesy Of Dawn White/ 11Alive
Missing Ohio teen Emma Linek has reportedly been found safe in a Georgia park, police said.
According to 11Alive, Emma was reunited with her father, Mike Linek, at an Atlanta police station after she was spotted wandering around a park. A woman reportedly recognized her from the news and escorted her to the station.
“UPDATE: 17 Year old Emma Linek has been located and is safe,” FBI Atlanta tweeted on Sept. 11. “Emma walked into a local police department late this afternoon and has been reunited w/ her father. FBI Atlanta appreciates the help of the media and public in spreading her picture and for all the information & tips.”
On Sept. 10, the FBI said they were trying to find Emma, as she initially flew into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and then left with an unknown man on Sept. 6. The agency noted that she was endangered and in need of medication, as she was diagnosed with autism.
“I’m asking for help if you’ve seen Emma,” her father, Mike Linek, said at a press conference that day. He reportedly flew into Atlanta from Cleveland at the time. “She’s a wonderful girl, a sweet and bubbly personality. She loves animals. She loves to sing, and we’re anxious to have her back with us”
The 17-year-old’s mother, Eleanor Linek, said the teen missed her flight to Boston where she was headed to a therapeutic boarding school. A Delta agent at the airport in Cleveland helped book her a new flight, which had a layover in Atlanta.
“I look at my phone all the time, looking through different news feeds, and I always see these things of missing kids and say ‘oh, my God. I can’t imagine what that family is going through,'” Eleanor said. “Here I am now in that situation.”
The family is now back together again after an intense search for Emma. Investigators said they’ve identified and spoken to the man whom she allegedly left Hartsfield-Jackson with, but his name has yet to be revealed.