An anonymous tip-off helped Australian police rescue a little girl who had been missing for nearly a month.
Four-year-old Cleo Smith is safe and well after a late night break-in from police officials overnight of a house.
She had been missing since October 16.
A 36-year-old local man was arrested after the raid, which followed a tip to police on Tuesday.
Neighbours said they became suspicious after the suspect, described as a “loner”, was spotted returning home with nappies.
One of them told Seven News she became suspicious after seeing the suspect buying Kimbies nappies from a supermarket.
“The other day, I think it was Monday, we saw him in Woolworths buying nappies but we didn’t click on who it was or what he was buying them for,’ she said.
“Until now.”
Another neighbour described him as “a loner” who “kept to himself”, and was not the type to stop and talk to others who lived on the street.
Former friends say the man had not long been freed from jail. “His grandmother raised him... but after she died a year or so ago, nobody went over to [speak] to him,” the man said.
Detectives had previously said they believed Cleo had been abducted.
Deputy commissioner Col Blanch said: “It’s my privilege to announce that in the early hours of this morning, the Western Australia police force rescued Cleo Smith. Cleo is alive and well.
“One of the officers picked her up into his arms and asked her, ‘What’s your name?’ She said, ‘My name is Cleo.’”
A short time later police were able to reunite Cleo with her family.
In new bodycam footage of the rescue, police can be seen carrying the girl into the garden before a police detective asks whether she is OK.
When Cleo smiles and nods, he tells her: “We’re going to take you to see your mummy and daddy, OK?”
