A woman who was kidnapped by her mother as a toddler over 25 years ago in Connecticut has been reunited with her father through DNA testing.
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In 1999, Andrea Michelle Reyes, a 23-month-old child, was reportedly abducted in New Haven, Connecticut, by her mother, Rosa Tenorio, who did not have legal custody. Authorities launched an investigation and issued a felony warrant for custodial interference, according to a news release from forensic genetic genealogy company Othram.
Authorities suspected that Tenorio had taken Reyes to Puebla, Mexico, based on information from Othram and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. However, the two were never found. In 2009, another felony warrant was issued, per the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
The investigation into her disappearance persisted for years. Authorities released several age progression images illustrating how she might have appeared over time. According to Othram, Reyes’ father (who wished to remain anonymous) never gave up searching for her. However, the case made little progress. He traveled to places in Mexico where she was reportedly seen, but she could not be found.
The Case of the Kidnapped Toddler was Reopened in 2023
In 2023, the New Haven Police Department reopened the case, according to Othram. This renewed effort led to a woman, claiming to be Reyes, reaching out to a man she believed was her father. The New Haven Police Department worked with Othram using advanced techniques to confirm that the two were biologically related.
The woman submitted a DNA sample, which was then analyzed and compared to the DNA of Reyes’ father.
“The woman who reached out is, in fact, the nearly two-year-old girl kidnapped in October of 1999,” Othram explained.
Reyes, now 27, resides in Mexico. The nature of her relationship with her mother remains uncertain. Othram has not confirmed whether she has reconnected with her father following the positive identification.
Othram announced that this marks the seventh case in Connecticut where its technology has been used to successfully identify an individual. The case was part of Othram’s Project 525 initiative, which collaborates with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. This initiative aims to solve the 525 juvenile cases in the database and bring closure to these unresolved mysteries.
A warrant is still active for Tenorio, the girl’s mother accused of abducting her. While the warrant can be enforced within the United States, police believe that Tenorio is currently living in Mexico.