Father Charged With Kidnapping After Missing Michigan Four-Year-Old Found in Ohio

A four-year-old girl who was reported missing after last being seen with her father in Marysville, Michigan, was found by Ohio State Highway Patrol officers on Tuesday, January 10, during a traffic stop near Lima.

Footage released by Ohio State Highway Patrol shows officers chasing and stopping a light-colored sedan. A man is asked to step out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

A separate clip shows an officer taking a child in a white coat out of the car.

Local media in Port Huron, near Marysville, Michigan, reported that the four-year-old’s father, Erik Nardini, was arraigned on Thursday on charges of kidnapping and absconding bond.

Nardini had been in arraigned on a separate charge on Monday, the report added, citing senior assistant prosecutor Josh Sparling.

According to police cited in the report, Nardini had posted bond and then picked up his daughter at a Marysville Burger King.

Ohio State Highway Patrol said they were made aware that a missing child from Marysville, Michigan, might be transported through Ohio on Tuesday night. Nardini was arrested shortly before 9 pm.

The girl was brought back to her mother, who holds custody, on Tuesday, the report said.

Nardini will make his next court appearance on January 24. Credit: Ohio State Highway Patrol via Storyful

Video transcript

[SIREN WAILING, OBJECTS CLACKING]

- [INAUDIBLE] Right beside you. [INAUDIBLE] Get the right side, down the ditch.

[ALERT PINGING]

Car [INAUDIBLE].

- Both hands! Both hands! Are you alone? Are you alone in the car?

- My daughter [INAUDIBLE].

- There's somebody in the back right.

- Huh?

- Somebody's in the back right. I see--

- OK, all right.

- Kid.

- Good? Kid? With-- driver, throw the keys out the window! Throw the keys out the window. With your hand, open the door. Outside. Step on out. Step on out. Turn away from me. Turn away.

- [INAUDIBLE]

- What's your name?

- [INAUDIBLE]

- All right. Go ahead and back up towards us here. Slowly.

- [INAUDIBLE]

- Turn around. Now back up. Back up!

- [INAUDIBLE]

- I got the right.

[DOOR CLACKS]

- Come on, sweetie. You're OK. Come on, sweetie. You're OK. Come on, sweetie. You're OK.

- OK?

- You're OK, sweetie. You're OK.

- OK. All right.

[ALERT BEEPS]

- One in custody.

[RADIO CHATTER]

We have the-- we have the daughter.

- It's OK. I got you, sweetie. Are you hurt?

- Um. (SHAKILY) We saw you coming, and then I was scared.

- Oh. Well, we're here to help you, OK, babe?

- OK.

- Yeah. We're gonna-- We're gonna get your mom over here. We're gonna-- we're gonna take care of you, OK?

- OK.

- All right?