Toddler Who Disappeared At The Age Of 1, "Safely Located" In US, Mother Arrested

One-year-old girl, Blessing Wasso, disappeared during a court-ordered visit with her mother in November 2021. Finally, she has been located now, CWB Chicago reported. Officials revealed that the child, who is now four years of age, was located in a joint operation between the US Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

As per the officials, Blessing disappeared when her mother, Erika Ephraim, also known as Ericka Wasso, visited her at a facility in Brighton Park on November 5, 2021.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), which had legal custody of the child, reported both her and her mother missing. The police suspected Ephraim had taken the girl.

The probe to find the toddler took a new turn when officials issued a press release Monday stating that CPD had asked for assistance in locating a missing infant on January 1, 2025.

The infant was Blessing, a report said.

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The probe directed the authorities to focus on two residences, one in Chicago and another in Blue Island.

The authorities confirmed Ephraim was living at the Chicago location with a girl, approximately 4 to 5 years old.

The officers launched a tactical operation at the home, forcing their way inside on June 3.

Both mother and daughter were "safely located" as of June 6, Chicago police confirmed.

As quoted in local reports, the Marshals Service said that the officers decided to proceed after further analysis, including age-progressed imaging provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

They arrested the mother when she attempted to flee. They also recovered the child, booking Ephraim into Cook County Jail on multiple active warrants.