Missing Maine Toddler: River Search Turns Up Nothing
Dec. 19, 2011— -- The search of a river this morning in Waterville, Maine, failed to turn up any traces of 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds, the toddler who disappeared from her bed Friday night.
Reynolds was reported missing around 8:50 a.m. Saturday by her father, Justin DiPietro, according to police. DiPietro said he had put his daughter to sleep the night before, and found that she had disappeared that morning. Several other adults were at the home Friday night with DePietro, including one who was not a family member, police said.
Reynolds' mother, Trista Reynolds, shared custody of the girl with DiPietro and was living separately from him, according to police.
Waterville police chief Joseph Massey said today that the state police, game wardens and FBI are involved in the search, with more than 75 law enforcement agents now helping the investigation. Twenty-five agents helped conduct the river search, which Massey called a "logical" step because of its proximity to the place Ayla was last seen.
Massey maintained that the families of the girl have cooperated with police and that there are no suspects. Police are treating the situation as a missing persons case, he said.
Earlier today, Trista Reynolds revealed she had filed to receive full custody of the girl just prior to her disappearance from her father's home.
Reynolds says she filed paperwork Thursday to receive full custody of her daughter one day before the tot went missing, but says she had not told the girl's father.
"Her father had no idea. He didn't know I went to file … he'll know now, but I never told him and no one told him," she said.
Justin DiPietro lives separately from Trista Reynolds, who, according to police, has no permanent address, and the two share custody of their daughter. Trista Reynolds says she has not spoken to him since their daughter disappeared.
"I've had no contact with him; he's had no contact with me. All I know is he's the last man to see my daughter," she said. "He helped out, he would take care of her until I was on my feet, but we've been unable to get along and parent together the last few weeks."
State police, the FBI and game wardens, who have joined the hunt for Ayla, have said that they have not ruled anyone in or out just yet, and for now believe they are dealing with abduction. Police say there were several other adults in the home that night -- one of whom was not a family member -- and all are now being questioned.
Investigators plan to continue scouring the Waterville, Maine, neighborhood where the blonde, blue-eyed, 2'9" tall girl was last seen. On Sunday K-9 units were brought in to track the little girl's scent.
"She was last seen wearing green pajamas with white polka dots that said 'Daddy's Princess' on the front of the pajamas," Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said, adding that "it was imperative for us to bring together all the resources we could, as quickly as we could, to find her."
Although they are not speaking to each other, both sides of Ayla's family appear to be cooperating with police
"We were able to speak to them at length both the dad and the mom and some other relatives and they were as far as we can see very forthcoming with information," Police Chief Joseph Massey said.
Ronald Reynolds, Ayla's grandfather, told ABC News that he is desperate to search the area for his granddaughter.
"I want Ayla home with her mother, with her pop-pop, with her Grandmom, with all of us," he said.
ABC News was unable to contact DiPietro for comment.
Ayla Reynolds had a soft cast on her left arm when she was last seen, Massey said.
The broken arm, an injury Massy said she sustained about three weeks ago, is in a sling, according to a "Find Ayla Reynolds … " Facebook page that's been set up.
ABC News Consultant and former FBI agent Brad Garrett spoke on the case on "Good Morning America" Monday, saying that investigators are correct not to rule anyone out.
"You have to look at the immediate family … day care folks, all of those people , they're gonna need to check out," he said. "The key is elimination, or not."
