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Police K-9 dies during search for kidnapped Cincinnati-area toddler, suspects

FOREST PARK, Ohio — A Cincinnati-area toddler is safe after being kidnapped late Monday night, but a K-9 officer collapsed and died during the search for the child and suspects.

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Three men carrying guns robbed cash from a mother of three young girls at a home on Kemper Meadow Drive in Forest Park around 10 p.m. Monday, Forest Park police told our our news partner WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. The station reports the suspects took a 15-month-old child and fled in a white SUV.

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Police said the suspects and victims didn’t know each other, but investigators believe the house was targeted for the crime.

Officers in Forest Park, located about 20 miles north of downtown Cincinnati, requested assistance from neighboring agencies, including Green Twp., who responded with a K-9 officer.

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After locating and pursuing the SUV, four occupants fled from the scene on foot.

After a search, the 15-month-old child was safely located, along with a fourth suspect, who police identified as 19-year-old Anquan Williams. The station reports police are still looking for three suspects.

Police said Williams has been charged with kidnapping and aggravated burglary.

Green Twp. Police Chief James Vetter told WCPO that Dino, the K-9 officer collapsed and stopped breathing just before midnight as he was starting to track the suspects. Vetter said Dino’s unexpected death was due to a medical event.

"He had a reputation as an outstanding police canine and very much loved his work. He will be sorely missed," Vetter said in a media release.

Dino was a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois/Shepherd mix trained in tracking and narcotic detection that had been with Green Twp. Police Department since 2011. Ohio State's Veterinary Medical Center will conduct an autopsy to determine cause of death.

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