Man questioned in girl’s kidnapping

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Authorities in Alabama have taken a person of interest into custody in the kidnapping of a 3-year-old girl , who remains missing.

An Amber Alert issued Saturday said Kamille McKinney, whose family calls her “Cupcake,” was in “extreme danger.”

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said a stranger in a dark SUV grabbed her while she was outside at her birthday party.

Birmingham police took a man into custody about 24 hours later after residents at a condominium complex where a Toyota Sequoia was parked called police, saying the driver and car matched surveillance images released by police.

Kamille was wearing a pink Minnie Mouse T-shirt when last seen. Deputy police Chief Scott Praytor said there’s no indication the kidnapping is related to child custody.

Columbus statues vandalized

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Several Christopher Columbus statues were vandalized with red paint and messages against the 15th century Italian navigator Monday when the U.S. holiday named for one of the first Europeans to reach the Americas was being celebrated.

A statue in Providence, Rhode Island, was splashed from head to toe Monday with red paint, and a sign reading “Stop celebrating genocide” was leaned against the pedestal.

The word “genocide” was written in orange paint on the rear of the pedestal.

The statue has been the target of vandals on Columbus Day in the past. A spokeswoman for Mayor Jorge Elorza said the statue will be cleaned Monday.

A Columbus statue in the Southern California city of Chula Vista was also defaced Monday with red paint. A Chula Vista police officer discovered the defaced Columbus statue in the city’s Discovery Park.

Crews were called in to clean off the paint, Chula Vista police Capt. Vern Sallee said.