‘It’s a Miracle’: Missing Arizona Teen Found Safe in Montana Four Years Later

A runaway Arizona teen was found safe in a small Montana town almost four years after disappearing.

The now 18-year-old Alicia Navarro showed up at a police department in a small town just 40 minutes south of the Canadian border, but authorities did not disclose the name of the town, Fox10 Phoenix reported.  A video recording by the department shows Navarro telling authorities that she was not hurt by anyone.

Navarro first disappeared from her Glendale, Arizona, home in the middle of the night of September 15, 2019. Her mother Jessica Nunez found a note written by her daughter which read, “I ran away. I will be back, I swear. I’m sorry.– Alicia.” Nunez noticed the back door was left open and saw a stack of chairs by a block wall in the backyard where Navarro appeared to have jumped over.

She was described by her mother as having high functioning autism and as very shy. Navarro spent her free time time playing video games and found friends through social media. At the time of Navarro’s disappearance, Nunez suspected her daughter was lured by someone online. Authorities are still investigating the nature of Navarro’s disappearance and where she’s been for the past four years.

During a press conference held on July 26,  Glendale Police spokesperson Jose Santiago said Alicia Navarro came to the Montana police department asking for help to clear her name off a missing juvenile list.

“She by all accounts went on her own free will. She is not in any kind of trouble. She’s not facing any kind of charges. She is not being held anywhere,” Santiago said. “She is coming and going at her own free will and she has been extremely cooperative not only with our folks but our federal partners as well.”

Nunez reunited with her daughter and shared her reaction to the news that her daughter was located safely on Facebook.

“I want to give glory to God for answering prayers and for this miracle,”  Nunez said.  “For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to use this case as an example. Miracles do exist. Never lose hope and always fight. My daughter Alicia Navarro was missing since September 15, 2019. She has been found safe.”

The search for Navarro included the involvement of the FBI and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NBC News reported. Over the years, they received thousands of tips.