Good Samaritan Helps Police Find Abducted Cottage Grove Girls

COTTAGE GROVE, MN — One man is in custody after an AMBER alert set off a search for two abducted girls — ages 1 and 3 — Friday morning in Cottage Grove. Police say on June 7 just after 6:30 a.m., a man assaulted the mother of his two children and left the scene with the children.

The victim of the assault, who was injured, was picked up on the side of the road by a good Samaritan. The passerby immediately called 911, which "was crucial in ensuring a fast and immediate response and it allowed officers to quickly locate the vehicle the suspect had sped away in, with the children," Cottage Grove police said.

After the AMBER alert was shared by news media and throughout Cottage Grove’s social media community, tips came in that helped officers, K-9 teams and the Minnesota State Patrol helicopter zero in on the area where the suspect was ultimately found.

The children were located unharmed, police said.

Agencies that assisted in the search Friday included the FBI, U.S. Marshalls, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota DNR, Minnesota BCA, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Dakota County Sheriff’s Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department, Woodbury police, Hastings police, St. Paul Park police, South St. Paul police, Inver Grove Heights police, and Oakdale police.