Missing 4-Year-Old Girl Found Safely After Joint Operation
A heartwarming story unfolded as a 4-year-old girl who went missing during a court-ordered visit with her mother in November 2021 has been safely recovered in a joint operation by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the Chicago Police Department, officials announced Monday.
Background of the Case
Blessing Wasso, who was just one year old at the time, disappeared during a visit with her mother, Erika Ephraim, also known as Ericka Wasso, at a facility in Brighton Park on November 5, 2021. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), which had legal custody of Blessing, reported both mother and child missing.
In May 2024, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) issued a missing person bulletin for Blessing, followed by a separate bulletin for her mother three weeks later. Authorities suspected that Ephraim had taken Blessing to California or Texas.
Recovery Operation
On January 1, 2025, CPD requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service in locating the missing infant, which was later confirmed to be Blessing. Through a collaborative investigation, authorities honed in on two residences—one in Chicago and another in Blue Island—ultimately discovering Ephraim at the Chicago location.
On June 3, 2025, after surveillance confirmed that the child at the residence closely resembled an age-progressed image of Blessing provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, officers conducted an arrest operation. Ephraim was apprehended as she attempted to flee, and Blessing was safely taken into protective custody and returned to DCFS.
Legal Actions
Ephraim was booked into Cook County Jail on multiple active warrants, including one for full extradition from the California Department of Corrections. Additionally, she faced non-extraditable warrants for retail theft in Cook County, stolen property in Orange County, California, and robbery in Signal Hill, California.
Happy Ending
On June 6, 2025, the Chicago Police Department issued press releases announcing that both Blessing and her mother had been “safely located,” bringing a positive resolution to this heart-wrenching case.
