Amanda Berry is partnering with the U.S. Marshals to help recover missing children.
Berry, Fox 8 missing person advocate, teamed up with the U.S. Marshals in Cleveland following the successful “Operation Safety Net,” which helped find 35 missing children in Northeast Ohio in August, Fox 8 announced Wednesday (January 13).
The missing and endangered children were between ages 13 and 18, and more than 20% of them were linked to human trafficking, the U.S. Marshals previously stated. The U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio established a permanent Missing Child Unit, stemming from the success of Operating Safety Net.
Inspector Bill Boldin explained to Fox 8 that 35 kids is “three or four times more than what we’d normally find” in that time frame. Boldin’s team aims to help teach other missing children’s units to enhance their skills with new programs.
Pete Elliott, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio, told Berry she’s “a living example of what’s right,” after surviving about a decade in captivity in Cleveland. Berry — along with Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight — escaped to freedom on May 6, 2013. Boldin hailed her as an “inspiration” to others, the station noted.
“I could have easily fallen through the cracks if it hadn’t been for my mom, who spent day and night trying to get law enforcement to take my case seriously,” Berry explained in a recorded message on Fox 8. “But not everyone has a mom as persistent as mine…I hope you never give up. My mom and I never did.”
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