More often than not, stories about missing children end in tragedy. Sadly, many of them are found dead days, months, or even years after they were reported to have disappeared. Those stories are always tragic and heartbreaking because you have to wonder if there’s a way they could have ended differently, but it’s the sad stories that make the positive stories mean that much more. A few months into lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 5-year-old girl in Duarte, California, went missing. Recently, the girl, who is now 11 years old, was found alive and living in North Carolina. It’s the kind of win we need right now.
The case went cold shortly after the girl disappeared.
“On July 1, 2020, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) contacted the Sheriff’s Department’s Temple Station to report the child missing from Duarte,” the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office shared in a news release.
“At the time, DCFS had been conducting an investigation involving the child. According to authorities, the child’s mother—who had custody—stopped communicating with DCFS personnel and was believed to have taken the child.”
Temple Station detectives got information March 6, 2025, that the girl might be in North Carolina. Both organizations reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, they noted in a news release. On March 10, they were able to locate the missing girl. Based on the information provided by LA authorities, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office determined that she was enrolled in Washington County Schools under an alias.
“After working in combination with multiple agencies from NC to California the child was taken into protective custody, and is SAFE!” the Washington County sheriff’s news release noted.
“These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this, but it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation. Stories with positive outcomes like these can happen,” the release shared.
For now, we don’t know much about the missing girl.
Because of the girl’s age, details about the investigation, including her name, have not been shared by authorities. KABC, however, reported that her name is Karen Rojas. She was kidnapped on June 2, 2020. She is now in protective custody as the investigation continues.
“While we understand the public’s interest in children from the community who may have received supportive services from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), state law prohibits us from commenting on our possible involvement with families,” the agency explained in a statement shared by NBC Los Angeles. “Confidentiality laws protect those who may have come into contact with our department from emotional distress and stigmatization while complex family issues are resolved.”
All organizations involved are grateful for a positive ending.
BREAKING NEWS!
— National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (@NCMEC) March 11, 2026
Just 3 months after NCMEC released a new age progression of a long-term missing child, she's been FOUND SAFE in North Carolina!
Read the story here: https://t.co/sUT1KOs2ey pic.twitter.com/yLWolVh8M4
“Thank God that everything worked out and it lined up,” Washington County Sheriff Arlo Norman told WCTI.
Lt. David Kearney, a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, told the outlet, “I met with my detective here and they forwarded that information to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.”
Norman worked “researching the records that we had available to us and talking to some of the school faculty, then waiting until Tuesday to confirm” that they had found the missing girl.
According to WCTI, the girl’s mother is in custody. Authorities say she hasn’t been charged at this time.
