Search ends after missing girl abducted from Cayce hotel is found safe, officials say

February 10, 2021 3oliver

The search for a 2-year-old girl who was abducted from a Cayce hotel Tuesday night ended when the girl was found safely, officials said.

But the man who stole a car with the girl inside remains wanted by the Cayce Department of Public Safety, according to spokesperson Ashley Hunter.

The child was abducted from the Quality Inn at 3020 Charleston Highway about 8:50 p.m. when a car was stolen, Hunter said.

An Amber Alert was issued for Carlee Folk at about 11:30 p.m., according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

A 2-year-old girl was in a car that was stolen in Cayce on Tuesday night, officials said.

Officials say a man jumped into a vehicle parked at the hotel with the Carlee and a dog inside and drove away.

The dog was also found safe, according to Lexington County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Capt. Adam Myrick.

Law enforcement described the man who took the car as a Black male, who’s about 5-foot-7, with a short dreadlock hairstyle, and he was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and dark color shoes.

The car that belongs to Carlee’s mother is a 2003, tan-colored Lexus sedan with no license tag. The vehicle also has a taillight out and a white sticker with three small bears on the back window.

The car was last seen in the Pine Ridge area of Lexington County, Hunter said. It was heading toward Fish Hatchery Road, according to SLED.

There was no word if the car was recovered by law enforcement. Hunter said more details

Authorities said anyone with information about the man accused of the abduction is asked to call the Cayce Department of Public Safety at 803-794-0456.

An AMBER alert is an emergency message issued when law enforcement believes a child is in imminent danger, according to the Department of Justice.

Officials released an image of a 2-year-old girl who was said to be abducted from a Cayce, South Carolina motel while in a car. The car is pictured.

A police spokesperson release this image of a man who is said to have taken a car with a child inside while it was parked at a Cayce hotel. Police are searching for the child.

“Thank you to all citizens that called in tips, to the diligence of our Cayce (officers) and the assistance of SLED, FBI, Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and other area agencies,” Hunter said.

The timing of Tuesday night’s alleged abduction is added urgency to Cayce authorities’ efforts.

The abduction comes almost exactly a year after 6-year-old Faye Swetlik went missing while outside her Cayce home. The girl’s body was found in a shallow grave in a wooded area a few hundred feet from her home three days later. Cayce police concluded that a 30-year-old who lived nearby abducted and killed Faye and killed himself.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.