By Stephen Stirling
Police said the mother of a 3-year-old child reported her daughter missing at Macy's in Flushing in the evening on March 5. Several officers combed the area and police even brought in an aviation unit to help search for the young girl, according to 109th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Kevin O'Donnell.After yielding no clues, O'Donnell said investigators noticed something strange. “They started to look at surveillance footage from Macy's and they found her coming in with no child,” he said. Police said they went to the home of the 28-year-old mother, whose name they did not release, near the corner of 157th Street and 29th Avenue. “We went to the premises solely to find out if the kid was OK or even if there was a child at all,” O'Donnell said. Authorities said upon their arrival at the residence they observed drug paraphernalia in plain view and obtained a warrant to search the home. Inside, police said they found 10 pounds of marijuana, several handguns, two shotguns, a rifle and more than $24,000 in cash.Police said the 3-year-old had been with her 30-year-old father throughout the entire ordeal and was unharmed. The father was arrested by police upon his return home and both he and his wife are now facing drug and weapons charges, authorities said. Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
