Seven-year-old Sheboygan girl found safe Tuesday morning

Sheboygan Police say 7-year-old Lilleona (Lilly) Badtke slept overnight at a friend's house and showed up at school this morning.

\"My Lillybean...I just grabbed her and hugged her,\" Tina Badtke, Lilly's stepmother, said.

\"She's 100 percent fine,\" Melissa Tock, a family friend who help coordinate the search, said. \"A little shaken up because she didn't know exactly what was going on.\"

Sheboygan Police along with dozens of volunteers looked for the missing girl through the night.

\"There was not a communication with parents,\" Sheboygan Area Schools superintendent Joseph Sheehan said. \"That's what started the whole search.\"

Police started looking Monday night.

\"They contacted all the second and third graders which is over 100 kids,\" Sheehan said. \"Have you heard anything et cetera. So that started last night.\"

The news spread quickly on social media. Dozens of people coordinated search efforts at a Toppers Pizza in Sheboygan.

\"The community was excellent I can't thank Toppers. I mean they stayed open all night for us,\" Badtke said.

It's a big sigh of relief for all involved. One the school district and family will use as a learning experience.

\"This child is safe,\" Sheehan said. \"But reiterating what parents should be doing in connection with their child and their neighbors.\"

\"She didn't know until we came here,\" Badtke said. \"We were telling her a lot of people were worried, looking for her. Her mom is going to take her home and show her Facebook and the news and how serious it is not to just stay at a friends. \"

The Sheboygan Police Department thanked the community for reaching out and helping with the search efforts overnight.


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