The search for 11-year-old Angelique Cunningham shifted from rescue to recovery after a boat outing near Toledo.
TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo woman has been charged after 11-year-old Angelique Cunningham disappeared during a Lake Erie boat trip that also left one man dead, authorities said.
Kristen Marie Gerrie, 41, was arrested July 3 and charged with child endangerment after Angelique went missing less than 15 minutes after a boat left Meinke Marina in Jerusalem Township. Authorities said Angelique was in Gerrie’s care during the outing. Gerrie was being held on a $50,000 bond.
The boat left the marina late July 1 with Angelique, Gerrie and 38-year-old Jonathan Ciha aboard. Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre said Angelique was reported missing shortly after the boat entered Lake Erie. Ciha was found dead in the water the next morning. Officials said he is believed to have drowned, though the full circumstances remain under investigation.
Gerrie made it to shore and later spoke with investigators. The boat was found near West Sister Island, a Lake Erie island east of Toledo. Search teams from local fire departments, the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office and state agencies spent days searching the water and shoreline for Angelique.
Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said crews had used all available resources in the search. By July 3, officials said the effort had changed from a rescue mission to a recovery operation because they no longer believed Angelique would be found alive.
On July 5, authorities said the body of a young girl was found near the Lake Erie shoreline. Officials had not publicly confirmed the identity at the time of the latest reports. Investigators also had not released a full account of what happened on the boat or why Angelique went into the water.
The case remains active. Authorities have not announced additional charges. Gerrie’s next court steps were not immediately clear, and investigators are expected to continue reviewing witness statements, records and evidence from the recovered boat.