Police query; lacking teen present in Montana
An Arizona teenager who had been missing since 2019 stopped by a Montana police department alone on Sunday and identified herself, sparking questions on her disappearance and up to date life which can be nonetheless swirling days after police introduced the information.
Alivia Navarro, now 18, vanished from Glendale, Arizona, in September 2019. Since coming ahead a couple of week in the past, she has spoken remotely together with her household, who’re in Arizona.
Detectives from Glendale executed a search warrant Wednesday and detained a man who has since been launched, in Havre, Montana. Police haven’t launched the establish of the person and haven’t made any arrests within the case.
Glendale police spokesperson Gina Winn stated authorities are working to find out what occurred over the previous 4 years and whether or not a criminal offense occurred. Kidnapping is a risk, authorities stated.
Who’s Alicia Navarro?
Navarro vanished from her native house of Glendale, Arizona, on Sept. 15, 2019.
Per week earlier than Alicia’s fifteenth birthday, she left her mom a handwritten notice in her bed room saying she would come again house, according to The Arizona Republic, a part of the USA TODAY Community.
Video footage of an interview Navarro gave with police this week exhibits {the teenager} showing drained however in any other case wholesome.
Jessica Nuñez, Navarro’s mom, informed the Republic she suspected Alicia could have been kidnapped by somebody she met whereas on-line gaming. She had spent most of her time gaming, a pastime she had taken up at 11 years outdated.
Within the years since her daughter’s disappearance, Nuñez has partnered with personal investigative businesses, put up billboards, appeared on tv packages and used social media to seek out her.
What is the newest within the investigation into Navarro’s disappearance?
Studies from the Related Press recommend Navarro has been seen across the residence that police searched in Montana.
As many as 10 uniformed and undercover officers confirmed up round 8 p.m. Wednesday and took away a person who gave the impression to be residing there in handcuffs, in accordance with a witness account. The person was questioned and launched.
Three different individuals in Havre have been questioned, Glendale police spokesperson Gina Winn stated. She declined to call the individuals who had been interviewed and wouldn’t specify whether or not detectives are nonetheless within the Montana city.
The place was Alicia Navarro discovered?
On July 23, Navarro confirmed up at a police station in Havre, Montana, about 1,400 miles from the place she disappeared from 4 years earlier. She recognized herself and police in Glendale, Arizona, had been notified.
After Glendale police obtained phrase the younger lady had recognized herself as Navarro, they went to work on verifying her id by way of interviews and with assist from the Navarro household.
The city of Havre is in northern Montana, about 35 miles south of the border with Canada. Havre is the county seat of Hill County, Montana, and has a inhabitants of about 9,300.
What have police came upon about Alicia Navarro up to now?
Navarro was discovered secure, wholesome and joyful, Glendale Police Division info officer Jose Santiago stated at a news convention.
Police in Havre and personal investigator Trent Steele stated when Navarro walked into the town’s police division, she additionally talked about wanting to maneuver ahead in life as an grownup, together with getting a driver’s license.
Police have stated Navarro informed them she hadn’t been harmed, wasn’t being held, and will come and go as she happy. She doesn’t face any prison expenses, they added.
Police have emphasised their efforts to afford privateness to Navarro at the same time as investigations transfer ahead.
“She is an grownup, so it’s as much as her whether or not or not she needs to go house,” Winn stated.
In short video clips that Glendale police launched shortly after she arrived on the Havre police station, Navarro thanked authorities for providing to assist her and stated: “Nobody harm me.”
Seek for Alicia Navarro spanned years
For years, Nuñez had documented her efforts to seek out her daughter on a Facebook page titled “Finding Alicia” and an audio podcast. In an emotional video posted Wednesday, Nuñez stated “For everybody who has lacking family members, I need you to make use of this case for example. Miracles do exist. By no means lose hope and at all times struggle.”
Nuñez had amassed a loyal following on social media all through the years whereas sharing inspirational quotes, photographs of Navarro as a younger youngster and posts addressed on to her daughter.
“Alicia I do know you’ll fulfill what you promised,” Nuñez wrote in a single put up. “You can be again.”
For the previous a number of years, Glendale police adopted up on 1000’s of leads, the division stated.
It was additionally the primary time Arizona issued a Silver Alert for somebody who was not an aged individual with dementia, the Republic reported.
Contributing: Related Press