Missing 8-year-old girl believed to have been abducted by mother, Toronto police say

A Toronto police officer's uniform is seen during a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to remove all images of the missing child, at the request of Toronto police. The child has been found.

Toronto police say a missing eight-year-old girl is believed to have been abducted by her mother.

Aviannah was last seen in the area of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street West at 12:40 p.m.

She is described as three feet tall with black hair in two braids.

Police say she was wearing a pink sweatshirt, black pants, pink boots and a multi-coloured jacket.

Police initially told CP24 that they did not believe Aviannah was taken and that she might have been on a TTC bus.

But in a news release issued Friday night, police said further investigation determined that the girl was abducted by her mother, 41-year-old Amanda Edwards, from her legal guardian.

Edwards, police said, does not have custody of her daughter. She is now wanted for abduction by a parent contrary to a custody order.

Edwards is described as five feet tall with pink hair and was last seen wearing all-dark clothing.

Police told CP24 the Amber Alert criteria were not met at this time.

Police are asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of the girl and her mother to contact them at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or at www.222tips.com.