A young girl reported missing in California has been found safe across the country, six years after she vanished without a trace.
Police first took a missing person report in February 2020 after the child disappeared from Duarte, California. Despite efforts at the time, investigators were unable to find the five-year-old or her mother.
This week, the child—now 11—was located in Washington County, North Carolina. Authorities said a tip led deputies to spot that she appeared to be enrolled in the local school system under a false name.
The development prompted a coordinated response involving multiple agencies, with officials from California working alongside North Carolina investigators to track down the child and place her in protective custody.
In a public update shared Tuesday, March 10, officials confirmed the girl is now safe, calling it an unusually positive outcome for a case that had remained unresolved for years.
Washington County NC Sheriffs Office said: “These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this, but it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation.”
They also said: “Stories with positive outcomes like these can happen.”
Authorities said the child’s identity is being withheld to protect her privacy.
Further details about the circumstances around her disappearance were also outlined by Los Angeles County officials, who said their Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) initially notified law enforcement when the girl could not be located.
Officials said DCFS was conducting an investigation involving the child at the time. They added that her mother still had custody then, but had stopped replying to the agency’s attempts to make contact.
The LA County Sheriffs added the mom ‘was believed to have taken the child.’
North Carolina deputies said the breakthrough came after ‘detectives received information suggesting the child might be in Washington County.’
Neither agency said whether anyone had been arrested or whether charges were expected.
LA County Sheriffs said: “The investigation remains ongoing. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to work with DCFS and authorities in North Carolina.”
On social media, some parents praised the investigators for finally bringing the case to a close after so many years. One said: “If you do nothing else of substance in a career, this single case makes it all worth it. Good job to all the men and woman involved.