Mum who vanished while jogging found by the side of the road, bound with restraints
A CALIFORNIAN mother who was reported missing earlier this month has been found safe after flagging down a motorist nearly 240km away from her home, officials said.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s office said Sherri Papini, 34, was located on Thursday, 22 days after she was reported missing in the town of Mountain Gate, California when she went for a run in the afternoon and never came home.
Police said they were “ecstatic” to report she had been reunited with her husband and family on Thanksgiving after her captors dumped her on a rural road.
Papini was found “bound with restraints”, according to Bosenko, but was able to get help from a passing motorist, who called emergency services.
“She was very emotional to be released and hear her husband’s voice and then, a few hours later, to be reunited with him,” Sheriff Tom Bosenko told ABC News’ Good Morning America.
Authorities are looking for “a dark-coloured SUV with two Hispanic females armed with a handgun”, according to the sheriff.
“She was emotional and quite upset but elated to be freed, and so we were able to get some information from her,” added Bosenko, saying the authorities would talk to Ms Papini again in the coming days.
The mother of two is being interviewed by detectives from the Major Crimes Unit of the sheriff’s office.
“I am happy to say that Sherri is now safe and that she has been treated at an area hospital outside of Shasta County for non-life-threatening injuries,” Bosenko said. He did not specify the nature of her injuries, but said she was treated at a hospital in Sacramento.
“Detectives will not rest until her captor or captors are identified and brought to justice,” the sheriff said.
Ms Papini was last seen going for a jog on November 2. Her husband reported her missing when he came home from work and discovered she hadn’t picked up their two children, ages 2 and 4, from daycare.
Keith Papini told officers she had found her phone while investigators said they spotted her earbuds along with strands of her hair. However, other clues were scarce.
Soon after her disappearance, investigators said Mr Papini had “no involvement” with his wife’s disappearance after passing a polygraph test.
This article originally appeared on Fox News and was republished with permission.
Originally published as Missing jogger found in restraints