The National Police returned three year old Irene Fernández to her parents yesterday, as per a report in Hoy newspaper. Her parents had denounced to the National Police and to the media in the DR that the little girl who lives in La Caleta, a slum town next to Boca Chica tourism resort area, was missing since Monday. They suspected an Italian mafia that they said kidnaps little children to be sold to foreigners for RD$35,000. The little girl said she was playing and a neighbor covered her face and told her she would stay with her because her mother was going to travel abroad. The father of the little girl, Jose Luis Fernandez said he had lost hope of finding his daughter. He said there are many cases of missing children in La Caleta. On Wednesday evening, he visited the Missing Persons Department of the Police to get a document that a TV station required to show a photo of the missing girl. He was told by the Police to return the next day so that they could continue with the investigations. When he returned, the Police had little Irene waiting for him in the Department of Investigation of Homicides. The Police explained a lady who took her to the Los Mina Police Department found the girl in the Los Mina market. The Police arrested three women and a man, who are neighbors of the affected parents. A tip by one of the women led to the finding of the little girl. The little girl continuously told her mother, "Mommy, don’t go away."
