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Dec. 08--For the past three days, Angela Merchant has searched Dumpsters, alleys and fields in an effort to help police find 2-year-old Bianca Jones, who has been missing since Friday.
"I have nine kids and two grandkids, so I thought this was the right thing to do," said Merchant, 42, of Detroit. "When my kids go to school, I come here."
About 150 volunteers gathered for a third day at Metropolitan United Methodist Church on Wednesday to assist police by searching neighborhoods for anything that may help find Bianca.
On-duty Detroit firefighters joined the search Wednesday, which expanded to east of I-75 in the area of the Detroit Police 13th Precinct.
"The firefighters brought their equipment and expertise to go into houses that were unstable because there are a number of vacant houses in these neighborhoods," said police Lt. Terry Herbert.
Police Sgt. Eren Stephens said that today is expected to be the last day investigators will use volunteers to assist in the search. There are no updates in the investigation, she said.
Bianca's father, D'Andre Lane, told police he was driving his silver Mercury Grand Marquis with the girl in the backseat when he was carjacked at gunpoint near East Grand Boulevard and Brush Street on Friday morning. Bianca was taken with the car, he said.
Police found the car less than a mile away, at Beaubien and Philadelphia, but Bianca was missing.
"When I heard the story, I was immediately worried about her," said Tameka Foster, 31, of Wixom, who joined the volunteer search effort Wednesday. "If this were one of my children, I would want someone to come out and help me."
More than 100 volunteers have shown up to help each day, police said. On Tuesday, more than 200 were there to help.
"This effort has been wonderful and residents are sick and tired of being sick and tired," Herbert said. "Everyone has a Bianca in their family, so they say, 'What more can I do to help?' "
