Marysville and Port Huron Police are thanking the community for sharing information online and via tips during Tuesday’s search for Lillianna Nardini, saying those efforts paired with work by authorities led to the child being found safe.
Lillianna was reported missing after being dropped off to her father, Erik Nardini, at the Marysville Burger King around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, January 9. According to police, Mr. Nardini had recently lost custody of his daughter, and was court ordered to turn Lillianna over to her mother. Instead of complying with the order, 46-year-old Nardini took the child and ran, telling Lillianna’s mother she would never see their daughter again.
Spending most of Tuesday, January 10, running down tips and looking for the father and daughter, police were notified after someone spotted Nardini’s vehicle headed south on I-75 near Toledo around 3:45 p.m. About five hours later, Ohio State Police caught up with Nardini near Lima, Ohio, having recognized the plate number and vehicle description from an alert issued by Michigan troopers.
Releasing body and dash camera footage of the traffic stop on social media Thursday morning, Ohio troopers shared that aside from being frightened, Lillianna was alright, and her father was taken into custody without incident.
Nardini is currently being held in Ohio awaiting extradition back to St. Clair County on kidnapping charges, while Lillianna is now back with her mother.
