PHOENIX — Police released information Wednesday that doesn't entirely line up with Cindy McCain's claim that she witnessed human trafficking at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport last week.
McCain, who co-chairs the Arizona Governor's Council on Human Trafficking, said Monday on "Mac and Gaydos – KTAR News 92.3 FM" that something didn't feel right when she saw a woman and a young child at the airport last Friday.
“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. I tell people 'Trust your gut.' 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,” McCain said on the show.
"She was waiting for the guy who bought the child to get off the airplane," she added.
According to Phoenix police, officers did conduct a welfare check on a child at Cindy McCain's request. But police said officers determined there was no evidence of criminal conduct or endangerment.
Cindy McCain tweeted on Wednesday to clarify her previous statements.
“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.’”
McCain is the widow of Senator John McCain. Cindy McCain recently helped dedicate Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor to her late husband.
If you suspect human trafficking, call the hotline at 1-866-347-2423. Learn more about the signs of human trafficking from the Department of Homeland Security.