FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The FBI on Monday joined the search for a missing 9-year-old Indiana girl and agents are scouring a mobile home park that's also a haven for registered sex offenders.

Agents descended on the mobile home park where Aliahna Lemmon lived in Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne authorities plan to meet Monday afternoon to plan their next move after two straight days without a search for the girl, a sheriff's department spokesman said.

Aliahna went missing from a family friend's home on Friday.

About a half-dozen people in black windbreakers were at the mobile home park Monday. Several identified themselves as FBI agents.

Search dogs were seen at a nearby storage facility.

Aliahna and her sisters were staying at a family friend's nearby home because their mother had been sick with the flu and Aliahna's stepfather works at night and sleeps during the day, The Journal Gazette reported Monday.

Mike Plumadore, 39, told the newspaper Sunday that he left the three girls in his mobile home about 6 a.m. Friday and went to a gas station about a mile away to buy a cigar. Authorities have said the store's surveillance video shows him there about that time.

"I had deadbolted the door," he said. "When I got back, all the girls was here."

He said he smoked his cigar and went back to sleep, then woke up about 10 a.m. when Aliahna's mother called. After that call, he realized the door to the home was unlocked and that Aliahna was gone. He said Aliahna's sisters, both 6 years old, told him that Aliahna had left with her mom.

Plumadore said it wasn't until he talked with Aliahna's mom about 8:30 p.m. that they realized she was missing and police were notified.
 
Aliahna's mother, Tarah Souders, 28, said miscommunication between the two of them caused the delay in determining that Aliahna had vanished.

"She's never wandered off," Souders said. "She's never done anything like this before."

But Aliahna does have a history of sleepwalking, even unlocking doors and going outside while sleeping, said her grandmother, Amber Story.

"I just hope that she's not suffering or in pain," Story said.

Souders said her daughter also has vision and hearing problems and suffers from attention deficit disorder and emotional problems.
In addition, Aliahna has post-traumatic stress disorder, The Journal Gazette reported.

The family believes Aliahna may have left Plumadore's home on her own. Fifteen registered sex offenders live at the Northway mobile home park, where Plumadore's home is, according to the Allen County's Sheriff's Department website.

Plumadore has three felony convictions for battery, auto theft, and forgery.

“I’m not an angel by any means,” he told The Gazette, but added, “I don’t hurt children. I don’t hurt animals.”

Family members also said they have never seen him hurt anyone.

There are no suspects or persons of interest in the case, including Plumadore and the registered sex offenders in the mobile home park, authorities said, according to The Gazette. Plumadore and other family members have been interviewed.



Theres things i would of done here.. immediately confirmed her whereabouts making every effort to talk with the mother, i can't beleive that some people are so nonchalant about the location of any child left in their supervision, leaving my child with a convicted felon i'd never do, not that i'm bias.. it's protection for my child and for the convicted felon, even if he would never hurt a child he will be under scuntiny and suspicion and be blamed just because of that situation

Regret to report, the little girl Aliahna was found dead today. The police have arrested Plumadore and charged him with murder.

I'd like to apologize for suspecting the Mother. Kneejerk reaction from past news events.

I just read the story and it is awful.  There are truly some wicked people in the world

I like to post the story along with the picture, if you know more to the story you know where more to look or open your eyes to.. like if it's a child abducted from a family member say estranged father.. the we can open our eyes more to that type of situation and notice something doesn't look right..they could be hiding in plain site

For the first time since his daughter was last seen on Dec. 16, the father of a missing Maine toddler spoke publicly Monday about the search for Ayla Reynolds and appealed to her abductor to return her safely.

Justin DiPietro, who was the last one to see his 20-month-old daughter when he put her to bed more than two weeks ago, spoke exclusively with TODAY’s Peter Alexander about his daughter’s disappearance, which was ruled a criminal investigation Friday by police in Waterville, Maine.

Ayla Reynolds, 20-months-old, disappeared December 16, her father said. “By coming here, it was in hopes of reaching out to the person that does have my daughter to let them know that what they’re doing isn’t right,’’ DiPietro said from Maine in the live interview Monday morning. “You may think what you’re doing is right for Ayla, but it’s not. You have no right. You’re not her parent. She belongs home with her family.

“I just want my daughter. I’m doing anything possible that I can to get my daughter home. It feels like a hopeless situation at some points, but I’m doing what I can.”

No suspects have been named by police, but DiPietro’s parenting skills have been questioned by the girl’s mother, Trista Reynolds, who appeared on TODAY last week. Reynolds underwent a 10-day stint in a rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse in October, during which time she and DiPietro agreed that he would take care of their daughter. Before her disappearance, Ayla had a soft cast on her left arm in what police called an accident.

Ronald Reynolds, the child’s grandfather, also has been “begging and pleading’’ for Ayla’s return and has been wearing a green ribbon, which is the symbol for missing children.

Authorities have scoured nearby lakes, woods, fields and private properties for weeks and have spent significant time investigating DiPietro’s home in search of the child after determining that Ayla, who had recently started walking, did not leave the house on her own.
On Friday, authorities announced that it has become a criminal investigation.

On the night of Dec. 16, he said he put Ayla to bed as she wore polka dot pajamas that read “Daddy’s Little Princess’’ on them. At 8 a.m. on Dec. 17, DiPietro went to check on her and found she was gone, officially reporting her missing at 8:50 a.m.
Dec. 17, DiPietro went to check on her and found she was gone, officially reporting her missing at 8:50 a.m.
 
‘Just talk to me,’ mom of missing Maine tot begs dad
“He said he’s not in hiding, but why won’t he come out?’’ Reynolds told TODAY last week. “Why won’t he talk to me? Why is he staying away? What is he so afraid of, to not come out and talk to me?’’
In Monday's interview, DiPietro defended his silence. “Initially, the first few days I was emotionally incapable of coming out to do an interview,’’ he told Alexander. “I had been advised that by coming on and doing an interview by law enforcement that it could possibly hinder the investigation, and I’m here to help in any way I can.’’

Reynolds said last week on TODAY that she and DiPietro have not spoken since their daughter’s disappearance and that she had concerns about her daughter’s safety while living with DiPietro. Reynolds lives 75 miles away in South Portland, and she last saw her daughter on Nov. 21. A day before Ayla’s disappearance, Reynolds filed for “parental rights and responsibilities’’ regarding custody of Ayla.

“He would never let me see her,’’ Reynolds told TODAY. “I would call to talk to her, and he would get mad about it. If I did see her and I would notice something on her like a bruise or just something, instead of reacting in a calm manner, he would lash out about it or kind of go into defense.’’

“As far as I know, there was never any concerns,’’ DiPietro said Monday. “We both agreed that me having her at this point in time was the best thing for her. She’s my child. She’s my world. She’s everything to me.’’

Although the investigation has now become a criminal one, DiPietro has not been made aware of any other major developments by investigators.



Ayla Reynolds, 20-months-old, disappeared December 16

Thank you Chantelle, i'll keep my eyes open, i pray for his safe return.