By LEONARD GRAY

Managing Editor

LAPLACE — What might have become a tragedy of one sort turned into one of another sort, as a 4-year-old child was missing for 17 hours.

The child was later found safe and unharmed, but her mother was booked for criminal abandonment.

On June 18, at about 9 p.m., Kellie Lyn Roussel, 24, of 152 Montegut Ave., reported that her daughter, 4-year-old Victoria Elizabeth Roussel, was missing in the Shady Nook trailer park area, according to Maj. Michael Tregre of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office.

When last seen, at about 6 p.m., Vicky had been riding her bicycle in the area, wearing a dark blue sundress and yellow flip-flops.

Immediately, the St. John Sheriff’s Office launched a full search of the neighborhood, led by Detective Freddie Young of Juvenile Division, using everything from four-wheelers to a loaned helicopter, trying to locate the tiny blonde-haired child, only 3-0 in height and 50 pounds.

For hours and hours, the search went on, until finally at about 11 a.m. Monday, the child was located at a neighbor’s trailer, where the child had spent the night.

The girl was reported unharmed in any way, but was taken to Children’s Hospital as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Tregre said, Kellie Roussel was arrested and charged with criminal abandonment and on an outstanding felony warrant from St. James Parish

Tregre said this was not Roussel’s first offense. She had already lost custody of two older children, and it was likely she would lose custody of Victoria and another sibling.

Tregre said the child was located, just after an &#8220Amber Alert” had been issued.