Chinese girl who vanished from US airport found safe with parents, says FBI

The disappearance of the 12-year-old, who disappeared from a Washington airport, had set off a massive police hunt

WASHINGTON: A 12-year-old Chinese girl who disappeared from a Washington area airport, setting off a massive police hunt, was found Friday unharmed and with her parents, authorities said.

JinJing Ma was considered a "critical missing juvenile" by police when they learned she left the tour group with whom she was checking in for a flight Thursday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, changed clothes and left the terminal with an unidentified Asian woman.

Ma "was located Friday in the New York City borough of Queens, safe and in the custody of her parents," the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in a statement.

When Ma disappeared with an unidentified woman, there were fears she may have been abducted.

A possibility also remained that there was an asylum attempt to reunite Ma with her parents.

The FBI confirmed the girl was reunited with her parents, but said that because it was an ongoing matter the bureau could not comment on specifics of the case.