Newark Police said 56-year-old Linda Hegg had been missing since September. With no word on her whereabouts, a news release was issued on November 5th seeking information from the public.
Investigators say someone in Canada contacted them two days later, saying they had seen the news release and knew of a person at a Toronto shelter who was only known as "Linda."
"Linda" resembled the photo of Linda Hegg, the caller told them.
Police say "Linda" had walked into that shelter on September 5th, but was unable to identify herself. Authorities say Linda suffered from a medical condition, and was getting worse.
An investigation was launched and a DNA test was performed. On December 10th, the results came back confirming "Linda" was indeed the missing Linda Hegg.
Authorities say Hegg entered Canada by bus with an expired U.S. passport.
Toronto Police said in a news release that "when officers spoke to Linda and told her they knew who she was, she smiled and her eyes lit up. It was the first time in two months that investigators had seen her smile."
Authorities from the United States and Canada worked together to send Linda home, and she arrived on December 14th.
Police say she is now resting at a hospital, with her family by her side.
