This is true, but read the story again. The little girl's father was staying at the home of a friend because he and his wife were separated, and the little girl was staying there with him. Apparently the 'transient' was staying there as well, and was sleeping on the couch. When the father returned from the bathroom to get his daughter some breakfast, she was gone and so was the 'transient'. It was within the hour that the guy came back all wet and said he'd been swimming in the river. I'm sure that's how they found her so quickly. The police went to the river where the guy said he'd gone.
Bad judgement call on her Daddy's part. I think he'll have a hard time forgiving himself for this.
As a stepfather who raised two boys with my wife, I find that really insulting. There are enough witchhunts out there already without making people like me suspects by default.
It's a vastly different thing to let a stranger into a home with children than a stepparent.