Connecticut police have found a woman, who was kidnapped 25 years ago from New Haven as a toddler, in Mexico.
Andrea Michelle Reyes was taken from her mother, Rosa Tenorio, who did not have custody of her, in October 1999, according to a news release from the New Haven Police Department. At the time, Andrea was almost 2 years old.
“Working in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a felony arrest warrant was issued for Rosa, and it was suspected at the time that she fled with Andrea to Mexico,” police said in the release. “Andrea’s father did not have any contact with Rosa or his daughter, despite going to Mexico himself several times to look for her in person.”
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released a post about Andrea, including a photo of her aged 22 years to aid in the search. The center described the young girl as having a birthmark on her forehead, one lazy eye and potentially requiring medical attention.
But Andrea’s case went cold until 2023, when New Haven Police Department Detective Kealyn Nivakoff with the special victims unit began to reinvestigate her case.
“Using a combination of interviews, search warrants and social media, Detective Nivakoff determined that Andrea, now in her 20s, had been taken by Rosa to Mexico and was residing in Puebla, a city of over a million people,” police said.
After getting in touch with Andrea, Nivakoff confirmed the relationship between her and her father with the help of Othram, a DNA testing company. The confirmation led Andrea, 27, and her father to reconnect for the first time in almost 25 years.
Police have not released the identity of Andrea’s father out of respect for his privacy.
Chief Karl Jacobson said Andrea’s case reflects the hard work of New Haven officers and detectives.
“While cases may have investigative leads exhausted at the time, no cold case is ever truly closed,” Jacobson said. “We remain committed to resolving every cold case and this is a perfect example of that effort.”
The warrant for Andrea’s mother, Rosa, is still valid within the United States. Police suspect she lives in Mexico.
