INNISFAIL - A frantic effort by three RCMP police detachments to find a runaway preteen couple - dubbed Romeo and Juliet on social media - ended after 12 hours of public alarm with the kids found safe and unharmed in Airdrie.
"They are fine. They are alive and well," said Innisfail RCMP Sgt. Lori Eiler, adding she did not know how long the pair were in Airdrie. "I am going to assume since 5 p.m. last night (Jan. 14). That is my best guess.
"They got as far as Airdrie and that was it," she said, adding it was not fully know what plans the two runaway kids had. "I don't really know until we talk to them on what their thought process was and of course Airdrie RCMP is dealing with them right now. We won't know that for a bit."
The drama began on the night of Monday, Jan. 14 when RCMP issued a media release seeking public assistance to find 12-year-old Rhianna Pelletier of Innisfail and Red Deer's Nicolas Givotkoff, also 12.
Eiler said the intensive search to find the two runaway kids was a shared collaboration between the Red Deer city RCMP, Airdrie RCMP and Innisfail RCMP.
She said Innisfail RCMP handled the initial report on the missing Innisfail girl, adding the Red Deer boy was reported missing at about 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. Monday morning.
"Red Deer RCMP started investigating the missing boy and at some point we got information that there was a missing girl from Innisfail," said Eiler. "We learned that the girl was with the boy from Red Deer and that they had taken a family member's vehicle and had left with some indication that they may have been heading to B.C."
RCMP said in its media release on Jan. 14 their was "some indication" the two runaways were heading to Radium, B.C. in a dark blue Chevrolet Cavalier.
That vehicle was recovered by Airdrie police last night, which engaged Airdrie RCMP, said Eiler.
"Once we got an indication that they were possibly in Airdrie then Airdrie RCMP picked up the ball and ran with it," added Eiler. "They investigated it most of the night and as well as today."
In the meantime, the plight of the runaway kids generated a massive response from the public on social media, including suggestions it was a classic case of a Romeo and Juliet running away together. Eiler said she was unaware if that was the case but said social media responses did provide police in the three detachments with many tips to follow in their investigation to find the pair.
"We had a ton of tips flood in on that," said Eiler of the social media posts Monday night and early Tuesday morning of the runaway kids. "Tons, tons and tons. That is how we ended up finding them was the tips from the public and Airdire RCMP followed up on that and found them.
Eiler said on the morning of Jan. 15 the parents of both children were contacted that their children were found safe in Airdrie, and immediately left for the city to pick them up.
Eiler said on Jan. 15 Airdrie RCMP were still investigating the case but with the children found it was unclear whether there was a lot to still unravel.
"Depending on what Airdrie finds out, and if there is more investigation to be done and it will be a joint effort but it looks at this point to be pretty cut and dry," she said.
