Body Recovered Near Lake Erie Believed to Be Missing 11-Year-Old Angelique Cunningham

The body of a young girl was discovered Sunday near the Lake Erie shoreline, believed to be that of 11-year-old Angelique Cunningham of Toledo, who had been missing since a boat trip earlier in the week, according to 13abc.

According to 13abc, Cunningham had gone out on a boat on Lake Erie with Kristen Gerrie, who has since been charged with child endangerment, along with Jonathan Ciha, whose body was found in the water Thursday morning. The outlet reported that a girl’s body was discovered Sunday near Dyke Road, with formal identification to come from the coroner.

According to WTOL, the case began the morning of July 2, when dispatchers received a report of a body in the water near Meinke Marina. Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre told the station the body appeared to belong to the owner of the boat involved in the incident. However, the coroner had not yet made an official identification.

Officials said the Coast Guard located the boat, unoccupied, near West Sister Island after 1 p.m., and that the missing 11-year-old had been on board with a babysitter and the boat’s owner.

According to WTOL, a female witness believed to be the babysitter was found safe and was being interviewed by detectives. WtolWtol
Family members identified the missing girl as Angelique Cunningham, though authorities had not yet confirmed that information at the time, according to WTOL. Meinke Marina is located in Jerusalem Township along Lake Erie, roughly 15 miles east of Toledo.

According to 13abc, Angelique was reported missing on July 2, and Sheriff Navarre said the young girl went missing from the boat less than 15 minutes after it left Meinke Marina, while she was in Gerrie’s care. The outlet reported that Gerrie, 41, of Toledo, was charged with endangering children, and family members described her as a neighbor who had taken Angelique out on the water Wednesday night. Gerrie was arrested at a home in Toledo at 4 p.m. on July 3 and is being held on a $50,000 bond.

According to 13abc, the boat the three had been in was recovered near West Sister Island on Thursday. Lucas County Sheriff’s Office Captain Bobby Chromik told the outlet that investigators did not consider anyone a suspect at that point, describing the case as a likely accident regarding the man’s death, with the primary focus on finding the 11-year-old.

According to WSMV, citing the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, it remains unclear what occurred on the boat, but Gerrie swam to shore and was questioned by authorities Thursday. The station reported that the sheriff’s office described Gerrie as the girl’s babysitter, while Angelique’s family called her a neighbor.

By Friday, the search had shifted from rescue to recovery. According to WSMV, Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said crews had exhausted all resources in the search after officials came to doubt Angelique would be found alive. The outlet reported that Ciha was found dead in the water Thursday morning after a boater discovered his body and called 911, and that a deputy coroner determined he drowned, though the circumstances remain under investigation.

According to WHIO, citing Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre, Cunningham had been on the water Wednesday evening with Gerrie, described as a family friend and the owner of the boat, and Gerrie swam ashore and contacted family members, who then contacted police. The outlet reported that Gerrie was ultimately arrested and charged with two counts of child endangerment.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.