Police locate missing Jefferson City girl

A missing Jefferson City girl has been located safe in the St. Louis area.

Jefferson City authorities issued an alert on Thursday evening for Eboni K. Coney-King, 8, who they thought may be on her way to her aunt’s residence in St. Louis or her mother’s home in Texas.

Hours after the alert was put out, police said Eboni had been found in the St. Louis area and was now in the custody of the St. Louis Police Department. The child’s grandmother brought her in after being contacted by police.

Eboni was seen Thursday afternoon outside West Elementary in Jefferson City. Eboni’s aunt, Na’Dyia Curtis, was waiting near a rear door of the school. According to security footage, Eboni started struggling after seeing her mother, Britney Coney.

Both Eboni’s mother and aunt were named as possible suspects when the alert was put out.

Police say it had been years since Coney had visited Eboni.

“She had not seen her daughter for years, from what the father had told us. There’s no court ordered custody agreement. There’s not visitation. That also lead us to some concern because the girl has her whole life here in Jeff City with her father,” said Sgt. Steve Dappen of the Jefferson City Police Department.

A dismissed child protection order names Eboni’s mother. Her father currently has jurisdictional custody.

Curtis and Coney are charged with parental kidnapping and have bonds set at $50,000 each.