Missing Connecticut girl found alive 25 years after kidnapping with help from DNA testing

Connecticut constabulary person located a New Haven miss — present a pistillate — who went missing 25 years ago, erstwhile she was conscionable 2 years old.

Andrea Reyes, 27, was abducted successful October 1999 by her non-custodial, biologic mother, Rosa Tenorio, who brought her to Mexico. 

"Thank you for sharing successful our joyousness successful uncovering our girl Andrea. After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed america with a accidental to cognize her again," Andrea's stepmother said successful an affectional connection during a March 12 property league with the New Haven Police Department. "We admit that this reacquaintance volition person challenges, however, we are assured that God is gathering the way earlier america and starring our steps."

Andrea's begetter went connected respective trips to Mexico himself implicit the years to find his daughter, constabulary said during the property conference.

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Andrea Reyes, present 27, was abducted successful October 1999 by her non-custodial, biologic mother, Rosa Tenorio, who brought her to Mexico.  (NCMEC)

Andrea's begetter and stepmother thanked instrumentality enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Her stepmother besides said DNA exertion helped instrumentality enforcement make a pb that yet led them to Andrea, who presently lives successful Mexico.

She added that they "do not suffer show for those families waiting for their loved ones to beryllium found."

"We support you successful our prayers, hoping for the time that you, too, tin beryllium reunited with your loved ones," Andrea's stepmother said. "As we found caller connections implicit these days and months, we inquire for your prayers and respect for our privacy. We anticipation that our bully quality volition 1 time beryllium your bully news."

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NCMEC's age-progression photograph representation of Andrea Reyes. (NCMEC)

Mexican authorities seemingly identified Reyes and her parent successful 2000, but "it was advised that the Government of Mexico would not instrumentality further enactment to region Andrea from her mother," New Haven PD Sgt. John Moore said during the property conference.

Andrea seemingly contacted the antheral she believed to beryllium her begetter successful 2023, erstwhile Det. Kealyn Nivakoff with the New Haven Police Department began to re-investigate the case. To corroborate her identity, New Haven constabulary partnered with forensic familial genealogy probe institution Othram, which yet confirmed a father-daughter narration betwixt Andrea and her father.

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Family abductions are the second-most communal benignant of kid abduction successful the United States, according to NCMEC.

Andrea Reyes' begetter speaks during a March 12 property league astir uncovering his missing girl aft 25 years. (Facebook/ New Haven PF)

In 2023, NCMEC received 1,185 household abduction cases and 59% of each AMBER Alerts that were issued were for household abductions.

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 "One of the biggest misconceptions astir household abduction cases is that the children are harmless and ‘not truly missing’ due to the fact that they’re with a parent,"  Angeline Hartmann, manager of communications astatine NCMEC, said successful a statement. "At NCMEC, we cognize that determination is simply a batch of emotion down these cases, and these scenarios tin beryllium unpredictable and dangerous. These children ARE missing and surviving a beingness connected the tally with their kidnapper. They’re forced to prevarication astir who they are and are often isolated. The caller recoveries of Andrea Reyes and Aziz Khan punctual everyone that these kids tin beryllium found, nary substance however agelong they’ve been gone."

An apprehension warrant for Tenorio remains active.