Child Found Near Cook County Forest Thrown In Trash Can: Father Arrested For Kidnapping
A child found near a forest in Cook County, Ill. was originally thought to have been abandoned near an intersection. However, a preliminary investigation revealed that the father responsible threw the little girl in a trash can.
The man has since been identified as 35-year-old Faiz Ikramulla. Contrary to original reports, which suggested that both parents may have been involved, this was not the case. Investigators learned that girl’s mother was in the process of filing a missing person’s report for her husband and child during the events in question. Ikramulla is thought to have acted alone.
Faiz is believed to have taken his 3-year-old daughter Aliya from their home and left her in a trash can near a Cook County Forest Preserve. Cook County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement, “The child was left there by the father in the Forest Preserve where he believed she would not be immediately found.” This coincides with the initial findings of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
“Initially, our investigation has shown that the father left the child in a garbage can and drove away.”
A $300,000 arrest warrant was issued for Faiz Ikramulla by Cook County police on Wednesday. When he learned that he was wanted, Ikramulla fled the state of Illinois. The next day, police in Van Buren County, Mich. notified Cook County officials that they had taken Ikramulla into custody. He is being held at the Van Buren County Jail; an extradition hearing has been scheduled to bring Faiz back to Illinois.
Faiz Ikramulla has been charged with aggravated kidnapping a Class X felony. This is most serious felony charge in the state of Illinois outside of first-degree murder. If successfully convicted of aggravated kidnapping, he would serve a minimum sentence of six years in prison. The maximum for this charge is 30 years. He might also be fined upwards of $25,000. Because of the serious nature of the charge, probation is impossible; the minimum sentence is mandatory.
#BREAKING: Faiz Ikramulla charged with aggravated kidnapping after leaving 3 year old in Forest Preserve Tuesday pic.twitter.com/l9mEi9TSkI
— NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) April 9, 2015
Ikramulwa’s young daughter spotted by motorists waving her arm and crying. When asked by concerned adults and police, the preschooler could not give her last name and couldn’t positively identify her parents. A medical examination at a nearby hospital revealed that the girl was unharmed, and a media alert was issued. The child was soon after reunited with members of her extended family.
There is no word yet if authorities intend to reunite Aliya with her mother as an investigation by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services into the household is ongoing.
[Image Credit: Cook County Sheriff]
