06-05-2013, 09:27 PM
TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Family members and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are searching a new site for signs of missing 1-year-old Elaina Steinfurth.
Searchers are focusing on several homes, including one abandoned house, as well as trash cans in the area of Federal and Leonard in east Toledo.
This new development Tuesday afternoon happened as police released little information about the state of the investigation.
A prayer vigil was held Tuesday night in hopes that the little girl will be returned safely. Hundreds of people attended.
Help with the Search: Download & Distribute "Missing" Flyer
"I just want her home in one piece, I wanna know that she's okay," said Angela Steinfurth, Elaina's mother. "It's very hard not having her around. My other daughter's going insane without her sister. They need to be together."
Watch the full interview with Angela Steinfurth
Timeline of Events:
Police got involved in the young girl's disappearance Sunday afternoon when Elaina's father, Terry Steinfurth, showed up at a home in east Toledo to pick up the girl and her older sister.
The children had been with their mother, Angela , and her boyfriend Steven King. Terry says Angela had taken the girls to the home, belonging to Steven's mother, Julie King.
Click here for an interactive timeline of events in the search for Baby Elaina
"She told me she was staying at her father's house," Terry explained, but that wasn't the case. "I went to pick them up Sunday…they told me she was back over [at Julie King's house], where she promised me they weren't going to be."
According to Julie, Angela called Saturday evening, asking if she and the girls could stay at Julie's for the night. Julie tells WTOL 11, Angela claimed they had no place else to go.
"I believed everything she told me, I thought she didn't have a place to stay," Julie said. "She lied to us."
Julie says she allowed them to stay the night, but says she didn't see baby Elaina all day Sunday.
Watch the full interview with Julie King here
When Terry came to pick up his daughters, he says Angela allowed their oldest to go with him, but refused to let him see Elaina. He says he persisted, and she refused.
That's when he says the children's grandfather, Terry Steinfurth Sr., arrived on scene. He says he wanted to help Terry Jr. get Elaina when Angela wouldn't give her up. Steinfurth Sr. says when he showed up, Angela told him the baby [Elaina] was napping, and she didn't want to wake her.
SLIDESHOW: Missing 1-year-old Elaina Steinfurth
"I heard [Angela] inside, [crying and screaming], ‘I don't wanna give him my baby, I'll never see her again,'" he said. Eventually they talked her into letting them see the baby. "Twenty minutes later, she comes running out, [saying,] ‘The baby's not in the house, the baby's gone.'"
Steinfurth, Sr. says he and his son wanted to call the police and others to look for the child, but Angela sat down on the porch "like nothing was wrong…no tears, no nothing."
Watch the full interview with Terry Steinfurth Sr. here
Julie says when Angela announced the baby was gone, she and her son, Steven, immediately went out the back door to begin looking in the pool, the garage, and nearby.
Steinfurth says his family, friends, even his boss, have helped him canvass the neighborhood and put up fliers, but they have seen no sign of Elaina. He says the police currently have no leads, either.
Angela told Toledo News Now she thinks the baby was kidnapped. Her boyfriend, Steven, refused to comment.
"I personally think someone's hiding her," Steinfurth Jr. said. "I don't know who, I don't even care, I just want my baby."
His father, however, has his guess as to who is responsible.
"I feel the mother and the boyfriend know what happened to that baby," Steinfurth Sr. said. "The way they're acting, I think they know where she's at but they don't want any of us to know."
Watch the full interview with Terry Steinfurth Jr. here
The Steinfurths, Angela, her boyfriend, have all been questioned by Toledo Police. Steinfurth says Angela claims she passed a lie detector test, but police say they cannot confirm that.
Elaina's father says there is a cash reward for any information that leads to finding his daughter.
"You don't ever expect to go through something like this, it doesn't seem real," he said.
Elaina was last seen wearing orange shorts with flowers. Anyone with information is urged to call Toledo Police at 419-936-8995 or CrimeStoppers at 419-255-1111. Even one tip could help her return home safely.
"I don't care who's got her," Steinfurth Sr. added. "We just want her back safe
Searchers are focusing on several homes, including one abandoned house, as well as trash cans in the area of Federal and Leonard in east Toledo.
This new development Tuesday afternoon happened as police released little information about the state of the investigation.
A prayer vigil was held Tuesday night in hopes that the little girl will be returned safely. Hundreds of people attended.
Help with the Search: Download & Distribute "Missing" Flyer
"I just want her home in one piece, I wanna know that she's okay," said Angela Steinfurth, Elaina's mother. "It's very hard not having her around. My other daughter's going insane without her sister. They need to be together."
Watch the full interview with Angela Steinfurth
Timeline of Events:
Police got involved in the young girl's disappearance Sunday afternoon when Elaina's father, Terry Steinfurth, showed up at a home in east Toledo to pick up the girl and her older sister.
The children had been with their mother, Angela , and her boyfriend Steven King. Terry says Angela had taken the girls to the home, belonging to Steven's mother, Julie King.
Click here for an interactive timeline of events in the search for Baby Elaina
"She told me she was staying at her father's house," Terry explained, but that wasn't the case. "I went to pick them up Sunday…they told me she was back over [at Julie King's house], where she promised me they weren't going to be."
According to Julie, Angela called Saturday evening, asking if she and the girls could stay at Julie's for the night. Julie tells WTOL 11, Angela claimed they had no place else to go.
"I believed everything she told me, I thought she didn't have a place to stay," Julie said. "She lied to us."
Julie says she allowed them to stay the night, but says she didn't see baby Elaina all day Sunday.
Watch the full interview with Julie King here
When Terry came to pick up his daughters, he says Angela allowed their oldest to go with him, but refused to let him see Elaina. He says he persisted, and she refused.
That's when he says the children's grandfather, Terry Steinfurth Sr., arrived on scene. He says he wanted to help Terry Jr. get Elaina when Angela wouldn't give her up. Steinfurth Sr. says when he showed up, Angela told him the baby [Elaina] was napping, and she didn't want to wake her.
SLIDESHOW: Missing 1-year-old Elaina Steinfurth
"I heard [Angela] inside, [crying and screaming], ‘I don't wanna give him my baby, I'll never see her again,'" he said. Eventually they talked her into letting them see the baby. "Twenty minutes later, she comes running out, [saying,] ‘The baby's not in the house, the baby's gone.'"
Steinfurth, Sr. says he and his son wanted to call the police and others to look for the child, but Angela sat down on the porch "like nothing was wrong…no tears, no nothing."
Watch the full interview with Terry Steinfurth Sr. here
Julie says when Angela announced the baby was gone, she and her son, Steven, immediately went out the back door to begin looking in the pool, the garage, and nearby.
Steinfurth says his family, friends, even his boss, have helped him canvass the neighborhood and put up fliers, but they have seen no sign of Elaina. He says the police currently have no leads, either.
Angela told Toledo News Now she thinks the baby was kidnapped. Her boyfriend, Steven, refused to comment.
"I personally think someone's hiding her," Steinfurth Jr. said. "I don't know who, I don't even care, I just want my baby."
His father, however, has his guess as to who is responsible.
"I feel the mother and the boyfriend know what happened to that baby," Steinfurth Sr. said. "The way they're acting, I think they know where she's at but they don't want any of us to know."
Watch the full interview with Terry Steinfurth Jr. here
The Steinfurths, Angela, her boyfriend, have all been questioned by Toledo Police. Steinfurth says Angela claims she passed a lie detector test, but police say they cannot confirm that.
Elaina's father says there is a cash reward for any information that leads to finding his daughter.
"You don't ever expect to go through something like this, it doesn't seem real," he said.
Elaina was last seen wearing orange shorts with flowers. Anyone with information is urged to call Toledo Police at 419-936-8995 or CrimeStoppers at 419-255-1111. Even one tip could help her return home safely.
"I don't care who's got her," Steinfurth Sr. added. "We just want her back safe