Woman living in Mexico identified as 1999 New Haven kidnapping victim
In October 1999, almost 2-year-old Andrea Michelle Reyes was abducted from her home by Rosa Tenorio, a noncustodial parent.
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27-year-old woman living in Mexico has been identified as a child who was abducted from her father in New Haven in 1999, officials say.
New Haven police made the announcement with help from Othram, an accredited forensic laboratory in Texas. The lab uses forensic genomic techniques to help solve murders and disappearances and to recover human remains.
In October 1999, almost 2-year-old Andrea Michelle Reyes was abducted from her home by Rosa Tenorio, a noncustodial parent. She was taken to Mexico and the two lived in Puebla. Othram says Reyes' father never heard from her or her mother. Police say Reyes' father went to Mexico several times to look for his daughter.
Following her abduction, police launched an investigation and issued a felony warrant for custodial interference for Tenorio. The department investigated the case along with other agencies.
The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, according to officials.
In 2023, Detective Kealyn Nivakoff, who is assigned to the Special Victims Unit with a focus on missing persons, began to reinvestigate the open case. Through interviews, search warrants and social media, Nivakoff learned Reyes was taken by Tenorio and established contact with her. As a way to confirm her identity, Nivakoff and Othram partnered to determine the potential familial relationship between Reyes and her father.
Othram says Reyes provided a DNA sample, which was compared to her father's DNA. The samples proved they were father and daughter. As a result, the two made contact for the first time, according to authorities.
The identity of Reyes' father is not being released at this time because he wants his anonymity to be respected, police say. The arrest warrant for Tenorio remains active, but is only valid in the U.S. and she is believed to still be living in Mexico, police say.
The lab says Reyes still lives in Mexico.
A news conference about the incident is tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday, police say.
