Metro Detroit search still underway for Lansing toddler with kidnapper in custody

2-year-old Wynter Smith missing since Sunday night

Missing Wynter Smith, 2, was kidnapped from Lansing on July 2, 2023 (WDIV)

DETROIT – Law enforcement continue to search Tuesday for a missing 2-year-old girl who was reportedly kidnapped from her mother in Lansing on Sunday night.

An Amber Alert remains active for 2-year-old Wynter Smith, who has been missing since the late hours of July 2. It is alleged that the child was kidnapped by 26-year-old Rashad Malik Trice, who is the ex-boyfriend of Winter’s mother, from a home in Lansing.

According to the family, sometime early Monday, Trice reportedly stabbed the child’s mother, threatened to harm the child, and took off in her car -- a 2013 white Chevrolet Impala.

Trice, who has ties to Detroit, ended up in Metro Detroit early Monday morning. He was seen driving throughout the area, including in Detroit, Hamtramck and St. Clair Shores.

Rashad Trice (WDIV)

He was found in St. Clair Shores and ultimately crashed the vehicle after a short police chase on Monday morning. Police announced at 5:50 a.m. on July 3 that Trice was taken into police custody.

The man is not cooperating with investigators, however, and the missing 2-year-old girl was not with him when he was caught. Local and federal law enforcement are still searching for the toddler.

Officials say Trice was seen driving throughout the Detroit area between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Monday. It is unknown where the child may be.

Anyone who saw the 2013 Chevrolet Impala, driving or stopped, especially between the hours of 11:15 p.m. on July 2 and 1 a.m. on July 3, is asked to contact law enforcement. Anyone who is driving in the same area that Trice had driven is asked to watch out for anything unusual that could help the investigation.

Even if you think of or saw something that may seem minor or inconsequential, you can report it to the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Wynter Smith was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with rainbows on it. She has shoulder-length hair that’s braided.


About the Author

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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