A woman who vanished as a toddler 25 years ago has been found by authorities in Connecticut, United States.
Andrea Reyes, now 27, was abducted in October 1999 by her biological mother, Rosa Tenorio, despite lacking legal custody.
The two relocated to Mexico, where they remained for decades, according to Fox News.
In 2000, Mexican authorities identified both Reyes and Tenorio but did not intervene to return the child to her rightful guardians.
Years later, in 2023, Andrea took the initiative to contact a man she believed to be her father. This development led Detective Kealyn Nivakoff of the New Haven Police Department to reopen the long-dormant case.
To establish Andrea’s true identity, investigators enlisted the help of forensic genealogy specialists at Othram, who confirmed a DNA match between Andrea and her father.
Expressing their overwhelming joy, Andrea’s stepmother shared, “Thank you for sharing in our joy in finding our daughter Andrea. After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed us with a chance to know her again.
“We recognize that this reacquaintance will have challenges, however, we are confident that God is building the path before us and leading our steps.”
During a press briefing, police disclosed that Andrea’s father had made multiple trips to Mexico over the years in a relentless search for his missing daughter.
Both he and Andrea’s stepmother extended heartfelt appreciation to law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their dedication to the case.
According to NCMEC, family abductions rank as the second most common form of child abduction in the United States.
