In a shocking twist to a case that gripped the Quad Cities, authorities revealed that the reported abduction of four-year-old Blessing Aochi on January 16th was a fabricated story orchestrated by her mother, Princess Ilunga. The initial 911 call, made by Ilunga, claimed her daughter was in a stolen vehicle. However, after a nine-hour search involving over 120 law enforcement officers from local and federal agencies and an Amber Alert, Blessing was found unharmed near her home. Investigators discovered Ilunga had been lying from the outset, hiding Blessing and misleading officers by using a different name for her daughter. Ilunga spoke English to officers but would speak Swhalai to the children. Chief McCloud said, “Ms. Ilunga could not provide us with a picture of her missing child. We had to reach out to the school district to obtain the picture that was eventually shared, and by then the search was well underway. Ms. Ilunga made every effort to hide Blessing from us. She initially refused to allow us to search the house for Blessing, and she falsely claimed that Blessing was a different daughter named Baraka.” Ms. Ilunga pointed to her daughter she called by her Swahili name Baraka and said Blessing looked like Baraka. She instructed her other children to go along with the deception.
Rock Island Police Chief Timothy McCloud said an officer with the department speaks fluent Swhalai, and a review of body camera footage confirmed the deception. Ilunga now faces charges for filing a false police report, but her current whereabouts remain unknown. The incident has left the community and law enforcement grappling with unanswered questions. Ilunga has been charged with a Class 4 felony for filing a false police report, and an arrest warrant has been issued for her arrest. Authorities urge anyone with information on Ilunga’s location to contact the Rock Island Police Department at 309-732-2677 or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500.
On January 16, 2025, at 6:05 AM, Ilunga left her vehicle running, which was stolen by juveniles. Princess Ilunga, 37, called 911 at 6.07 AM and reported that her vehicle was stolen. Ilunga told the dispatcher that her daughter was in the vehicle when it was stolen, and she confirmed this information six times to dispatch. Chief McCloud said there was not a language barrier and that Ilunga spoke good English and was easy to understand, even with an accent. The stolen vehicle was located approximately eight blocks away at 6:24 AM without Blessing or her car seat inside.
Following an Amber Alert, the Rock Island Police Department called local, state, and federal resources to assist with the search for 4-year-old Blessing. Chief McCloud said the mobilization of law enforcement resources was on a scale he had not seen in his 30 years of service in the Quad Cities. “We had upwards of 120 law enforcement officers working hundreds of man-hours, joined by countless concerned citizens from around the area who walked block by block in cold temperatures, drove around in vehicles, and shared information through social media,” said Chief McCloud. “We considered every possibility that she had been transferred to another stolen car, that she had gotten out of the stolen car and was now lost, or the nightmare scenario that she had been abducted by someone else.” Chief McCloud called this an intentional deception that wasted the time and resources of six local law enforcement agencies, the Illinois State Police, the FBI, and the federal marshals.
Chief McCloud said, “Throughout the day, officers responded to numerous unfounded sightings of Blessing, as well as reports of pink backpacks or pink coats left abandoned in alleys or backyards. Numerous calls for service were put on hold as all resources were diverted to this emergency. At 2.53 p.m., close to nine hours of going house to house, passing out pictures, and searching neighborhoods using drones or thermal imaging, Blessing suddenly showed up at the back door to her residence unharmed, showing no signs of distress or even of having been out in the cold temperatures.”
Despite the relief everyone felt when Blessing was found, numerous questions arose regarding her whereabouts for nine hours. “Getting answers had to be done delicately, as our victim was only four years old and reportedly just suffered through a very traumatic event. Unfortunately, Blessing could not provide us with an explanation as to where she had been,” said Chief McCloud.
Jaron Bailey-Harris, 18, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. Four juveniles were apprehended in connection to the incident: a 16-year-old Hispanic male – Kidnapping and Possession of a Stolen vehicle; a 16-year-old Black male – Possession of a Stolen vehicle; a 15-year-old Black female – Possession of a Stolen Vehicle; and a 14-year-old Black female – Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. The 16-year-old male juvenile remains in custody for his charges, but reportedly the kidnapping charge will be dismissed. Chief McCloud said they had no reason at the time to doubt what a distraught mother was reporting. He said they believed the individuals arrested for stealing the vehicle were deflecting when they said the child was not in the car when they stole it.
Chief McCloud said he doesn’t have a dollar amount spent on the search for Blessing, but there were hundreds and hundreds of man-hours, including officers called in on overtime for the search. East Moline Police, Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office, Milan Police, Davenport, Iowa, Police, Illinois State Police, the FBI, and US Marshals assisted with the search for missing Blessing.
Chief McClound said, “There probably were some other local agencies that arrived as well. When I called, everybody showed up. I couldn’t be more appreciative of their efforts. I think it actually goes a long way to say this is what a law enforcement community is capable of in the Quad Cities. At the same time, in that partnership with the community, we all came together and did what needed to be done. Really, that’s the only charge that we’re going from right now. I’m not looking to go after them to recoup our financial losses or anything like that, but I would like this thing to be resolved. I ask the community that if anybody knows where the family is, this will be handled very quickly. State of Illinois, she’s not going to spend time in jail on this. Process her, get her done, and give her a report date. Thank you all for coming. I appreciate it.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the family is asked to contact the Rock Island Police Department at 309-732-2677 or Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500.