A woman from Rock Island, Illinois has been arrested in Wisconsin after her four-year-old daughter was falsely reported missing, prompting an AMBER Alert. The Rock Island police department later confirmed that the child was safe the entire time, exposing the hoax.
Princess Ilunga, 37, contacted the Rock Island Police Department on January 16 at approximately 6:07 a.m. to report the theft of her car. Apparently, her vehicle was taken while it was left running in front of her residence. What made the situation even more distressing was the fact that her four-year-old child was inside the car at the time. In response to this alarming situation, officers and volunteers dedicated a tireless nine-hour search until the child was eventually discovered outside her residence around 2:50 pm.
During the nine-hour investigation into the girl’s whereabouts, authorities discovered that Ilunga had deliberately concealed the child inside the residence. As a result, an arrest warrant was issued for Ilunga on January 30, charging him with filing a false police report, which is classified as a Class 4 felony.
Ilunga was taken into custody by the Wisconsin State Patrol in Jefferson County, Wisconsin on Thursday, Jan. 30, shortly after 5 p.m., following a traffic stop.
During the incident, the Wisconsin State Patrol pulled her over due to a suspended registration and an equipment violation. Ilunga, who was the driver, was then apprehended and taken into custody because of the outstanding warrant.
Ilunga’s seven children were discovered in the vehicle during the stop and were subsequently taken to the Lake Mills Police Department for temporary care. The authorities made arrangements to contact their father, Richard Aoci, as soon as possible.
He promptly responded and assumed custody of the children at approximately 9:50 p.m.
Ilunga is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail, awaiting extradition to Illinois.