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Connecticut police have successfully located Andrea Reyes, a woman who went missing 25 years ago.  

Reyes, who disappeared from New Haven, Connecticut at the age of two, was abducted by her biological mother, Rosa Tenorio, and taken to Mexico in October 1999.

 Recent DNA testing confirmed that the 27-year-old woman is indeed the missing child.

Emotional Reunion After Decades of Searching

Andrea's father, Carlos Reyes-Couvertier, expressed overwhelming joy at the reunion.

“It was a moment of joy,” Reyes-Couvertier stated at a press conference in New Haven when asked how he felt upon learning that authorities had found his daughter.

Andrea’s stepmother also shared a heartfelt statement:

“Thank you for sharing in our joy in finding our daughter Andrea. After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed us with a chance to know her again.”

She acknowledged the difficulties with the relationship but remained optimistic, saying, “We recognize that this reacquaintance will have challenges, however, we are confident that God is building the path before us and leading our steps.”

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National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Over the years, Reyes-Couvertier made multiple trips to Mexico to locate his daughter. Authorities credited DNA technology with providing the crucial breakthrough that led to Andrea's discovery. 

The New Haven Police Department, working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and forensic genetic genealogy company Othram, confirmed Andrea’s identity through DNA testing.

Andrea’s stepmother expressed gratitude towards law enforcement and the NCMEC, stating:

“We do not lose sight of those families waiting for their loved ones to be found. We keep you in our prayers, hoping for the day that you, too, can be reunited with your loved ones. As we establish new connections over these days and months, we ask for your prayers and respect for our privacy. We hope that our good news will one day be your good news.”

Andrea Reyes Reaches Out

According to New Haven PD Sgt. John Moore, Mexican authorities identified Andrea and her mother as early as 2000. However, the Mexican government declined to take further action to remove Andrea from her mother’s custody at the time.

Andrea herself took the first step towards reconnecting with her father in 2023 when she contacted a man, she believed to be her biological father.

This prompted Detective Kealyn Nivakoff of the New Haven Police Department to reopen the case, ultimately leading to Andrea’s positive identification.

Family abductions remain one of the most common types of child disappearances in the United States.

The Reality of Family Abductions

According to NCMEC, they received 1,185 reports of family abductions in 2023 alone, and 59% of all AMBER Alerts that year were issued for cases involving a family member.

NCMEC Director of Communications, Angeline Hartmann, emphasized the dangers associated with these cases:

“One of the biggest misconceptions about family abduction cases is that the children are safe and 'not really missing' because they’re with a parent. At NCMEC, we know that there is a lot of emotion behind these cases, and these scenarios can be unpredictable and dangerous. These children ARE missing and living a life on the run with their kidnapper. They’re forced to lie about who they are and are often isolated. The recent recoveries of Andrea Reyes and Aziz Khan remind everyone that these kids can be found, no matter how long they’ve been gone.”

Legal Consequences

Abdul “Aziz” Khan was also found safe this month after being missing for seven years. He was discovered in Denver, Colorado.

Aziz’s non-custodial mother, Rabia Khalid, along with her husband, Elliot Blake Bourgeois, were arrested on felony kidnapping charges. Police say the abducted Aziz from Atlanta, Georgia in 2017.  He is now 14-years-old.

Despite Andrea’s safe recovery, the legal consequences for her mother remain unresolved. Authorities confirmed that an arrest warrant for Rosa Tenorio is still active.