A widespread search is underway for a two-year-old girl who vanished from her Lansing home late Sunday. Law enforcement and volunteers are combing areas near the major highway connecting Lansing and Detroit, focusing on stretches of I-96 and the I-496/U.S. 127 interchange. The toddler, Wynter Cole Smith, was last seen wearing a white shirt with rainbows and has braided hair.

Simultaneously, the girl's mother's ex-boyfriend, Rashad Trice, 26, faces charges of attempted murder and other offenses related to an attack on the mother. Police allege Trice stabbed the 22-year-old woman at her Lansing residence and then fled in her vehicle, taking Wynter with him. Although Trice was apprehended in the Detroit suburbs on Monday, the child was not found in the vehicle. He is currently being held without bond in Ingham County and awaits legal representation.

The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to Wynter's safe return. Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee, speaking on behalf of the family, emphasized the urgent desire to bring Wynter home. He noted that the search efforts have employed diverse resources, including divers, canine units, drones, and helicopters. Authorities have also requested residents with security cameras or doorbell cameras along I-96 to review their footage for anything unusual.