A Milwaukee child has been found dead and wrapped in a blanket on the shoulder of a highway in southern Minnesota after a days-long search, police said during a press conference on Saturday.
Police believe the body that was found is that of Noelani Robinson, 2, who went missing on Monday. Officials said an autopsy will be performed to ultimately conclude her identity and her manner of death.
The body was found after an off-duty employee of the Department of Public Works spotted something abnormal on the shoulder of a highway, Milwaukee Police Department Chief Alfonso Morales said on Saturday.
When police arrived, they found the child's body wrapped in a blanket.
"We want to offer our condolences to Noelani's grandmother," Morales said.
Dariaz Higgins, Noelani's father, was taken into custody on Wednesday on suspicion of murder charges. Higgins is accused of killing Noelani's mother, Sierra Robinson.
Morales said officers do not believe Noelani was killed within the last 24 hours, and that she had been on the side of the road for "quite some time."
Related
He added that the child's body was in a location consistent with where Higgins was before being arrested. Morales said additional charges against Higgins are pending.
CORRECTION (March 16, 2018, 2:08 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated where the body was found. It was found in Minnesota, not Milwaukee.
