Kidnapped Michigan 4-Year Old Girl Recovered In Auglaize County

Erik and Lilliana Nardini

(1-11-23) At 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wapakoneta Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested a Michigan man Erik Nardini (46), without incident or harm to the girl, identified as Lilliana Louise Nardini (4). Police had been searching for the pair since they were last seen Monday night at the Burger King restaurant on Gratiot Avenue in Marysville, Michigan.

Watch Video of the Ohio State Highway Patrol traffic stop and securing Lilliana –

Last night, troopers were advised of a vehicle transporting a missing child from Marysville, MI, that could be traveling in Ohio. At approx. 8:44 pm, troopers located the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The suspect was arrested and the child was returned home safely. pic.twitter.com/61YOYR6lCO

— Ohio State Highway Patrol (@OSHP) January 11, 2023

Nardini was recently served with a court order ordering the child be turned over to the girl’s mother. After being served with the court order, Erik Nardini made statements to the mother that she would never see the child again.

Marysville Deputy Chief of Public Safety Edward Gerrow

“The Marysville Police in Conjunction with the Port Huron Police Major Crimes Unit, Ohio State Highway Patrol Piqua Post and FBI Task Force Lima Division were all instrumental in working nonstop today to locate and arrest Erik Nardini,”

“This is outstanding police work by all jurisdictions involved. Special thanks go out to the Port Huron Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit for taking the lead and working feverishly to locate Lilliana unharmed.”

The Port Huron Major Crimes Unit responded to meet with Ohio authorities to pick up Lilliana and transport her back to Michigan to be reunited with her mother.

Nardini is being held in the Auglaize (Ohio) Jail in Wapakoneta with no bail on a fugitive from justice charge on a probable cause for kidnapping pending felony warrants and an extradition warrant to be issued by the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office.