Exclusive: Valley women help police locate missing girl from Facebook post

It’s been four long days since Ellie Rasco last saw her two-year-old daughter, Lucia Perry. Thankfully, a Facebook post trying to find her got around the internet – more than 17,000 times. Somebody saw something in Palm Springs and said something.

“It was Facebook. I saw the post on Facebook and immediately knew 100% for sure these were the people the post was about,” a concerned citizen who wanted to stay anonymous said.

The post was about Jack Perry. Los Angeles Police say Perry, Lucia’s father, abducted her during a supervised visit on Christmas Eve.

That women who wanted to stay anonymous recognized him at a condo on the 200 block of La Verne Way in Palm Springs. Her friend then called Palm Springs Police Monday night.

LAPD considered Perry a potential flight risk, in part because of his access to a private jet. “We could hear from the outside what was happening inside,” the woman who called police said.

Nobody knew exactly how much danger Lucia was in. Police eventually got Perry to leave the condo and hand over the child.

“I think he could see from a window all the police and he had no choice but to come out. I don’t think he is a malicious person he showed no sign of that,” she said.

Once safe, the goal was the least amount of trauma as possible for Lucia.

“I wrapped her in a blanket and I put her in the officer’s car and made the officer turn on music and turn his computer on and she calmed down. She is so pretty just a great baby for all that was happening,” she said. “The mom came in late last night. We were able to text her and we knew she was so happy to have the baby back.”

Lucia is now safe with her mom. Police arrested Perry on suspicion of child concealment and he’s in jail. This story ends a lot better than it could have – all because these women spoke up.

“Law enforcement is only as strong as the citizens who report to us. There’s a lot more citizens who can see at any given time. In this case it worked,” Lieutenant Kovaleff of the Palm Springs Police Department said.

“It’s so much better to be wrong and it be safe, than to not do anything and for him to got out and we still wouldn’t know where they are.”

Some call it a social media platform. Others now call it a life saver.