Missing Person, 12, Found Within An Hour Using Sheriff's App

MONTGOMERY, IL — On Wednesday afternoon, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media for help finding a 12-year-old girl who had gone missing from the Boulder Hill neighborhood in Montgomery.

Within an hour of the post, and with the help of tips and a smartphone app, she was found.

Deputy Dan Briars said the sheriff’s office sent out push notifications through the Sheriff’s Office Smartphone App to users alerting them of the missing person, along with a description and photograph. The 12-year-old was last seen on the 100 block of Fernwood Road in Boulder Hill around 8:45 a.m. May 26 and was reported missing by her family.

Briars declined to provide additional information about the case.

“She was located safely and without any injury or harm,” Briars said.

Not long after the 12-year-old girl was reported missing, Briars said the sheriff’s office received information about another missing person, a boy, reported to the Aurora Police Department. He was reported missing and found in the same location as the girl from Montgomery.

Briars didn’t provide more information about the case. The Aurora Police Department didn't immediately respond to comment.

In a Facebook post, the police department thanked residents of Kendall County for helping them track the 12-year-old down so quickly.

“I believe a good relationship with the community we are sworn to serve is essential, and this case is a perfect example of the positive relationship proving invaluable,” Sheriff Dwight Baird said in a statement.

In February, the sheriff’s office announced the introduction of the Sheriff’s Office Smartphone App, which allows the department to connect with Kendall County residents and visitors and get information out quickly. Baird said about 1,200 people have downloaded the app.

In a press release, Baird said the app is meant to help “build and maintain public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration.” The app allows users to submit tips, access press releases and calendar events, as well as find information about registered sex offenders and the county’s most-wanted fugitives.

The Sheriff’s Office Smartphone App is available to both iPhone and Android users and can be downloaded here.

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