Ohio man allegedly strangled 3-year-old after reporting her missing

SANDUSKY, Ohio — A 29-year-old Sandusky man initially identified as the 911 caller who reported his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter missing is now facing charges for allegedly strangling the child. Devin O'Brien contacted authorities Thursday night, claiming the toddler had disappeared from their trailer park on Venice Road.

O'Brien called 911 around 9 p.m. and reported that the child and his dog were missing after he took a nap. In the recorded 911 call, which was partially broadcast by local Fox affiliate WJW, O'Brien can be heard telling the dispatcher, “I've been running around our neighborhood and I can't find her anywhere.” When the dispatcher asked him the child's age, he confirmed that he was three years old.

Authorities say O'Brien initially suspected the girl and her dog may have been kidnapped while she was sleeping by a “drug lord.” But investigators now accuse O'Brien of strangling the child.

The investigation is ongoing as law enforcement attempts to reconstruct the circumstances of the tragic event.

STAFFORD COUNTY, Virginia. — The Stafford County Sheriff's Office has reported that Mt Olive Road is currently closed near Poplar Road following a car crash. Authorities have confirmed that there were only minor injuries in the crash.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternative routes while emergency services control the scene.

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Union County Community Outreach Team will be going door-to-door in Westfield to provide information about the county's available resources. This outreach effort, conducted in the spring, received positive feedback from residents.

Outreach team members are easily identified as they wear vests and identification badges.

For more information about the program, residents can call the Union County Department of Human Services Action Line at 908-677-5405 or visit the website at www.ucnj.org/outreach.