A young girl who was believed to have been kidnapped from Southern California six years ago has been located safe in North Carolina, authorities announced Tuesday.
The 11-year-old girl was taken into protective custody after authorities found that she was enrolled in Washington County schools under an alias, according to a statement from the county sheriff’s office.
Officials haven’t revealed her name.
The girl was reported missing from Los Angeles County on July 1, 2020, after her mother stopped communicating with the local child services agency during an investigation involving the child, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department press release.
Authorities suspect the girl was taken by her mother, who had custody of her, according to the department.
The woman was not identified, and the sheriff’s department did not immediately release any other information regarding the investigation in 2020.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services stated that the agency is barred from discussing its potential involvement with families.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says it received a tip last week that the girl could be in North Carolina. Washington County is approximately 130 miles east of Raleigh.
School resource officers from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office located her on Monday, according to the North Carolina sheriff’s office.
“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 … [s]tories with positive outcomes like these can happen,” the department said.
