Amber Alert issued for abducted 4-year-old Kennewick girl
An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 4-year-old Kennewick girl.
Washington State Patrol issued the alert for Grace Susmilch at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Grace is 3-foot 4-inches tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing white elastic shorts.
Grace was forcefully taken by Matthew Susmilch, 41, off S. Conway Place in Kennewick at 10:45 a.m.
Kennewick police told the Tri-City Herald the abduction is related to a SWAT incident at apartments on S. Conway Place earlier in the day.
The call initially came in as a domestic violence report, and then the suspect was believed to have been armed and barricaded himself inside, according to dispatch reports.
That incident stretched until after 3 p.m. It appears the suspect was no longer in the apartment when SWAT threw in a listening device., according to dispatch reports.
It is unknown what direction they were heading, or in what kind of vehicle.
Investigators believe the abduction is a credible threat to the child’s health and safety.
Matthew Susmilch is 5-foot 9-inches tall and weighs 209 lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. He is heavily tattooed with neck tattoos, full sleeve arm tattoos, chest tattoos, back tattoos and tattoos on both legs.
Anyone who sees them should call 911. Anyone with information can call the Kennewick police non-emergency number, 509-628-0333 and reference case ID KPD26-0489999.
Susmilch has a significant criminal history in Washington state and California, according to public records. His previous convictions range from theft to assault. He was charged in connection with a 2018 California killing, but those charges were later dismissed because prosecutors said there was evidence he may have been acting in self-defense.
A Walla Walla Court issued a 2024 protection order against Susmilch for Grace and her mother related to an alleged domestic violence incident, court records show.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 7:07 PM.
