NYPD traffic agent, motorist find girl in Amber Alert

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The Amber Alert for a young girl from Pennsylvania that may have been kidnapped was canceled after police found her safe and sound in Manhattan thanks to the quick actions of a New York City traffic agent.

Police were searching for 3-year-old Ava Byrne, who was possibly abducted by Robert Byrne, 24, her father, police said. He was driving a 2004 silver Hyundai Elantra possibly towards New York. Police in Pennsylvania had said Byrne took the child under circumstances that lead them to believe the child was in imminent danger, prompted authorities to issue an Amber Alert.

Ava's mother and grandmother were very grateful Friday night to a traffic agent, a 911 caller, and an observant motorist exiting the Lincoln Tunnel at around 2 p.m.

The motorist told Traffic Agent M.D. ALI that he saw the car. Ali then doubled checked the license plate against the Amber Alert on his mobile phone. He then called his superiors to report the location's car near the intersection of 34th Street and 10th Avenue.

Ali stopped the vehicle, asked the man to pull over and then waited for Police Officers Rui Sanches and Shawn Mooney -- who received a 911 report of the vehicle as well -- to arrive minutes later.

Mooney and Sanches then asked Byrnes to hand over the child. He complied. The officers handcuffed Byrne.

Ava's mom drove up from Pennsylvania and brought her daughter home.

We still don't know if there was any crime committed here. New York police held Byrne in custody but only until Pennsylvania authorities could retrieve him and bring him home to face any charges.