An Arizona girl, who vanished on the night just before her 15th birthday four years ago, was found safe in a different state this week after she walked into a police station and requested to be removed from the missing children list. Alicia Navarro, now 18, appeared at a police department in a small Montana town, located about 40 miles from the Canadian border.
There, she identified herself as the same teenager who had been reported missing back in September 2019, as confirmed by Glendale police on Wednesday. It is still unclear how Navarro managed to travel more than 1,000 miles by herself to a little hamlet near the Canadian border to provide her name to the authorities.
Miracles Happen
Navarro's mother, Jessica Nunez, believes her daughter's safe return is evidence that "miracles do exist." She encourages other families with missing loved ones to hold onto hope and not give up.
Jose Santiago, the Glendale public safety communications manager, announced at a press conference: "Alicia Navarro has been located."
"She is by all accounts safe, healthy, and happy," he added.
The teenager, described as high-functioning autistic in her missing person's report, left her Glendale home overnight on September 15, 2019, at the age of 14.
The parents, who were asleep at the time of her departure, found a handwritten note from their daughter the next day. The note read: "I ran away. I will be back. I swear. I'm sorry," as reported by KTAR News.
However, she never returned. Navarro's family had no communication from her until this week.
She took the initiative to enter a local police station in Montana on her own and requested to be removed from the missing children list.
Upon receiving this information, the Montana police department contacted Glendale police to verify her identity, and they confirmed that she was indeed Alicia Navarro. The authorities then informed her family that she had been located and was safe.
Happy Reunion
She was then reunited with her mother, who had never stopped searching for her during the four years of her disappearance. It was an emotional reunion, with the teen expressing her apologies for the pain her mother endured not knowing her whereabouts or if she was still alive.
Nunez referred to the finding of her daughter as a "miracle" in a Facebook video. "For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to use this case as an example," she said. "Miracles do exist. Never lose hope and always fight."
According to Nunez, she does not have specific details about her daughter's disappearance, but the most crucial aspect is that Navarro is alive and safe.
Glendale police stated that they are conducting an investigation into how the teenager managed to travel to Montana and with whom she had been staying for the past four years. Numerous unanswered questions remain in this case.
The police confirmed that Navarro ran away from home voluntarily and has been fully cooperative with their ongoing investigation. During their interactions, she assured the authorities that no one had harmed her, and she seemed to be in good health.
As of now, the girl is still in Montana and has the freedom to come and go as she wishes. She has requested privacy so that she can move forward with her life, as stated by Santiago.
"We can only imagine what she's going through, mentally, emotionally, as well as her family, and as much as we'd like to say this is the end, this is probably only the beginning of where this investigation will go," Glendale PD Lt. Scott Waite said.
