This past Monday, a woman named Sierra Robinson was shot dead inside an apartment in Milwaukee, Minnesota. By the time police got to the scene, Robinson’s 2-year-old daughter Noelani was no where in sight. Law enforcement quickly determined that the shooter was the little girls father, Dariaz Higgins. They suspected that Higgins had taken Noelani with him when he fled the scene. They then issued an Amber Alert in hopes of locating the 2-year-old before it was too late, according to Fox News .
The FBI was brought in to help with the case and a $5,000 reward was soon offered for Noelani’s safe return to her loved ones. The family of the little girl spoke out pleading with her captor to bring her home. Police stated that Higgins and Robinson had once been romantically involved but were no longer a couple at the time the incident occurred. Robinson reportedly left her daughter with Higgins when she moved to Las Vegas last month. She’d returned home to retrieve Noelani when things went awry. Law enforcement claimed that Higgins had a dark past and had once served as a pimp for Sierra. When Noelani went missing, they worried she could become a victim of human trafficking if they did not act fast. Unfortunately, the search came to a devastating end.
Beautiful artwork of Noelani Robinson — shared with us by artist Tre Smith II. Rest in peace, Noelani. ?? https://t.co/aF9WWq1kZw pic.twitter.com/RrvGt6sRbf
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) March 16, 2019
An off-duty Milwaukee public works employee was on his way home from work when he spotted something out of the ordinary alongside the Highway 218. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a blanket. Wrapped up inside was the body of Noelani Robinson. He then called in the police who determined that she was indeed the child they’d been searching for.
This was, of course, not the news the Milwaukee Police Department had been hoping for. In fact, they’d been led to believe by her father that she was still alive. After being taken into custody on Wednesday, Higgins offered the authorities information about his daughter’s location. This information was later “proven to be untrue,” according to NBC News .
Higgins now faces murder charges for the death of Sierra Robinson as well as his suspected connection to his daughter’s death. He also allegedly shot a second woman inside of the apartment on Monday. That individual survived her injuries.
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales announced the heartbreaking news that Noelani had been found dead.
“This is our job and this closure is not the closure we like to find. It’s something we have to come out and do. We want to offer our condolences to Noelani’s grandmother.”
