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Authorities: Missing Illinois girl's heart a concern

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) - Authorities in southern Illinois say they are concerned about health of a teenage girl and her newborn son who they believe were kidnapped by her stepfather.

Madison County Sheriff John Lakin on Thursday said 13-year-old Katherine Elizabeth Derleth of Carpenter has a congenital heart defect and a pacemaker. Equipment to monitor the pacemaker was left behind when she went missing last weekend.

According to the Southern Illinoisan (http://bit.ly/2dnRebg ), the girl also was under a doctor's care after the Sept. 1 birth of her son, Christopher R. Derleth, by Cesarean section.

Authorities on Monday filed kidnapping charges against the stepfather, 39-year-old Christopher M. Derleth of Granite City and were searching for the three. He had been previously ordered not to contact her.

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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com

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