Kidnapped child found alive after years hidden under fake name: police
A young girl who was kidnapped in Southern California nearly six years ago was found safe and living under a fake name on the other side of the country, authorities said.
The now-11-year-old victim was found in Washington County, North Carolina, on Tuesday, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The girl was located after authorities received a tip revealing she had been enrolled in the Washington County School District "under an alias name," officials said.
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Investigators worked in tandem with multiple agencies from North Carolina to California to safely find the girl and take her into protective custody.
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The girl was just 5 years old when she was last seen in Duarte, California, on June 2, 2020, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
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She was reported missing to California authorities. At the time of her disappearance, she was the subject of a separate investigation involving the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said in a statement.
The victim’s mother had custody and stopped communicating with DCFS workers, leading authorities to believe she was responsible for the child’s disappearance, according to LASD.
"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, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen," the Washington County Sheriff's Office said.
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The development comes just three months after the NCMEC issued an updated age progression photo of the missing child.
"After six years, the recovery of [the victim] is an incredible moment for everyone who has worked to bring her home," John Bischoff, who oversees NCMEC's Missing Children Division, said. "Her recovery reflects the persistence and close coordination between law enforcement and NCMEC and our shared commitment to never give up on a missing child."
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Authorities have not made any arrests in the girl’s disappearance, according to officials.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and LASD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.