Authorities say that the Connecticut toddler, who was accused of 25 years ago, is alive in Mexico.
Andrea Michelle Reyes was only two when she disappeared from her New Haven home in 1999.
Reyes' family also believed that the girl might have been in Mexico, but even if her father traveled repeatedly there looking for them, they couldn't find her.
According to the New Haven Police Department, investigations including the FBI were also colder until reviewed in 2023.
That was when Cold Case Detective Kelleen Nibakov was able to trace Reyes to Puebla using information from interviews, search warrants and social media accounts.
Reyes, now 27 years old, has been identified through a “quick relationship test” using her father's DNA. Forensic genealogy company Othram said.
Although she remains in Mexico, the warrant for her mother's arrest remains active in the United States, police said.
Othram said it was the seventh case that helped authenticate in Connecticut.
“Whether it's the body of an unidentified human, or the identity of a suspect in a crime, we do the same every day whether we confirm the identity of a woman who has been missing for decades, like in this case.
