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Andrea Reyes, who was abducted at the age of 2, has been found alive in Mexico, more than 24 years after she was taken by her mother, Rosa Tenorio, New Haven Police announced on Wednesday, March 5.
Despite an active felony arrest warrant for Tenorio, she successfully evaded law enforcement for decades, allegedly taking her daughter across the border and raising her in Puebla, a city of over a million people.
Her father, whose identity remains undisclosed, had custody of Andrea at the time of her disappearance in October 1999. He spent years searching for her, even traveling to Mexico multiple times, but was never able to locate his daughter.
The case remained cold for over two decades — until 2023, when Detective Kealyn Nivakoff of the Special Victims Unit reopened the investigation. Utilizing a mix of interviews, search warrants, and social media, Nivakoff was able to locate Andrea, who was living in Puebla. In collaboration with the DNA testing company Othram, authorities confirmed her identity and reconnected her with her father for the first time in more than 20 years.
“This case reflects the hard work of our officers and detectives,” said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. “While cases may have investigative leads exhausted at the time, no cold case is ever truly closed. We remain committed to resolving every cold case, and this is a perfect example of that effort.”
Despite the breakthrough, legal hurdles remain. The arrest warrant for Tenorio is still active in the U.S., but it holds no jurisdiction in Mexico, where she is believed to still live.
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