How did missing 10-year-old Redmond girl end up in downtown Seattle?

REDMOND, Wash. -- A missing 10-year-old girl who vanished from her eastern Redmond home Monday afternoon was found safe hours later -- many miles away in downtown Seattle, the King County Sheriff's Office said.

A major search was launched after the father reported his daughter missing, saying he last saw Abbey at about 4 p.m. Monday at their house in east Redmond, the sheriff's office said.

The father said he went out to run some errands, and when he returned home his daughter was missing, police said.

The King County Sheriff’s Office has called out search and rescue, tracking dogs, and a helicopter to assist the search for Abbey in the Redmond area.

The sheriff's office said that at about 9:20 pm, Abbey was found in downtown Seattle -- about 15 to 20 miles from her home in eastern Redmond -- and was being evaluated by medical personnel.

She was determined to be unharmed, sheriff's deputies later said.

Seo said she walked into a business in downtown Seattle near the intersection of 8th Avenue and Olive Street. She was recognized as being the missing girl from the media alerts. He said he did not know what kind of business it was or how she managed to get from Redmond to downtown Seattle.

Sheriff's office Sergeant Stan Seo said the girl was "very lucky" and he was relieved the story didn't have a "tragic ending."