Cindy McCain steps back from her report of human trafficking at Sky Harbor airport
Cindy McCain appeared to step back from her report of possible human trafficking at Sky Harbor International Airport that authorities later said was not criminal activity.
"At Phoenix Sky Harbor, I reported an incident that I thought was trafficking. I commend the police officers for their diligence," McCain tweeted Wednesday.
Phoenix police officers assigned to the airport conducted a welfare check on a child at McCain's request on Jan. 30, police officials said Thursday.
During the welfare check, "officers determined there was no evidence of criminal conduct or child endangerment," Sgt. Armando Carbajal said in an email.
McCain, the wife of former Arizona Sen. John McCain, is a trustee of the McCain Institute in Washington, D.C., which includes human trafficking among its focuses. She also is co-chair of Gov. Doug Ducey's Arizona Human Trafficking Council.
At Phoenix Sky Harbor, I reported an incident that I thought was trafficking. I commend the police officers for their diligence. I apologize if anything else I have said on this matter distracts from “if you see something, say something”
— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) February 7, 2019
In a radio interview on Monday, McCain said that she noticed a situation at Sky Harbor that didn't feel right.
MORE: How the fight against sex trafficking made Cindy McCain a political figure
"I came in from a trip I’d been on and I spotted – it looked odd – it was a woman of a different ethnicity than the child, this little toddler she had, and something didn’t click with me," McCain told KTAR News. "I went over to the police and told them what I saw and they went over and questioned her and, by God, she was trafficking that kid."
Phoenix Police Department and Sky Harbor encourage all travelers visiting the airport to report any suspicious activity to police and/or airport personnel, Carbajal said. Police remind those visiting the airport, "If you see something, say something."
In her tweet, McCain apologized if her mistake distracted from the "see something, say something" approach.
The McCain Institute did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cindy McCain steps back from her report of human trafficking at Sky Harbor airport
