Overview

• On June 3, a joint U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and Chicago Police Department operation forced entry into a Chicago residence, leading to Blessing’s rescue and her mother’s arrest
• Investigators pinpointed the address after spotting a young girl matching an age-progressed image of Blessing peering from a second-floor window
• After her recovery, Blessing was placed into protective custody and returned to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as a ward of the state
• Blessing was abducted at age one by her mother, Erika Ephraim, during a supervised visit at a Brighton Park facility on November 5, 2021
• Erika Ephraim was booked into Cook County Jail on multiple warrants, including a full extradition request from California and charges of retail theft, stolen property and robbery