The child was gone for more than eight hours before investigators tracked her to a vehicle traveling south on Interstate 35 in Albert Lea.

ALBERT LEA, Minn — The Albert Lea Police Department said a man is in custody after a child’s brief disappearance prompted an AMBER Alert out of Sherburne County Wednesday night.

According to a post on Albert Lea PD’s social media, 28-year-old Joseph Andrew Bragg was arrested early Thursday following the 7-year-old’s safe return.

Officials said the girl was abducted around 4 p.m. after she got off the bus from school. She was reported missing about 6:30 p.m. in Zimmerman, where about 200 law enforcement officers and 700 community members turned out to search.

The child was gone for more than eight hours before investigators tracked her to a vehicle traveling south on Interstate 35 in Albert Lea. Police said officers conducted a traffic stop and safely recovered the child before apprehending the man.

The 7-year-old was reportedly taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation and later reunited with her family, according to the post.

The relationship between the man and child is still unclear. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota BCA, said the man does not have a significant criminal history.

“This is every family’s worst nightmare,” Evans said, calling the Bragg a “frankly evil individual.” 

Evans advised parents to talk to their kids about school pick-up and children’s social media usage to avoid dangerous encounters with strangers. 

“Talk to your kids. If it is an individual that approaches them, unless you specifically as a parent tell them that this individual is picking them up, then they should not go with that person,” Evans said.Â