NORTH EAST, MD—Maryland State Police announced Wednesday the arrest of two individuals in connection with a missing 3-year-old Delaware girl, whose disappearance prompted an Amber Alert that was later canceled. Human remains consistent with those of a young child were discovered in a vacant lot in North East.
Darrian Randle, 31, and Cedrick Antoine Britten, 44, both of North East, Maryland, were taken into custody after consultation with the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Randle faces charges including first- and second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in the death of a minor under 13. She is currently awaiting extradition at the New Castle County Division of Police in Delaware.
Britten has been charged as an accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact and failure to report a child’s death. He is in police custody in Maryland and is awaiting transport to the Cecil County District Court for an initial appearance.
The investigation began Tuesday evening after Nola Dinkens, 3, was reported kidnapped by her mother in Newark, Delaware, leading the New Castle County Division of Police to issue an Amber Alert. The New Castle County Division of Police Criminal Investigations Unit and the FBI launched an intensive search.
Information gathered during the overnight investigation revealed that the initial report provided by Randle was false, prompting the cancellation of the Amber Alert.
Maryland State Police, at the request of Delaware authorities, responded to Randle’s last known address in North East, where they contacted Britten. Further investigation at the scene led to the discovery of human remains.
At 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, investigators from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit located human remains consistent with those of a young child. Positive identification is pending autopsy results from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore.
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is leading the ongoing investigation, with assistance from the FBI, the New Castle County Division of Police, Maryland State Police North East Barrack, and the Criminal Enforcement Division Northern Region. Crime scene technicians from the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division processed the scene for evidence.
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