Sincearae Dotson held her daughter close as she spoke to the press Tuesday evening outside Memorial Hospital in Carbondale.

“Up until a few hours ago, I was losing my mind. I was literally losing my mind,” said Dotson.

7-year-old Patrice Dotson was declared missing Monday after she disappeared around 6 p.m. near the 600 block of West Cherry Street.

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Patrice was located by city employees on Tuesday afternoon around 1:45 in the 1500 block of North Marion Street, according to a press release by the Carbondale Police Department.

Dotson says Patrice was found in the woods.

When Dotson got the news that her daughter had been found, she said she ran.

“I took off. I got in the car as fast as I could,” said Dotson.

Patrice was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale in order to check her well-being, and was then released to her family.

Dotson says she doesn’t believe her daughter wandered that far on her own. 

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“Somebody took her and left her,” she said.

The family had offered a $5,000 reward for Patrice’s return. It is unclear whether  the person who found her will collect it.

Patrice’s stepmother expressed the family’s gratitude to the community for their assistance in finding her daughter.

“We thank [the volunteers] for that. We love them for that,” she said.

Dotson says that she is going to keep her daughter close.

“My paranoia probably won’t let her go outside for a while,” Dotson said.

The Carbondale Police Department gives thanks to the Carbondale community for their assistance and support in the search.

Police say the investigation into Patrice’s disappearance is ongoing, and ask that anyone with information contact them at (618) 457-3200.

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