A family in Arizona is breathing a sigh of relief after their toddler was found safe after she was abducted last week. The girl, 2-year-old Kehlani Rogers, was taken from her family’s home in the middle of the night. It seems like a bizarre situation because a lot of details about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance haven’t been released. We do know, however, that her kidnapper was invited into the family’s home because she apparently had nowhere to go. But it doesn’t seem as if she was someone they knew previously. Although the story had a very happy ending, a lot of questions are still unanswered.
Kehlani was found “in good health” on the morning of February 22, 2026, the Avondale Police Department announced in a news release posted to social media.
“Investigators worked tirelessly through the night, following up on numerous tips. Earlier this morning, a community member reported a possible sighting near 27th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix,” the release read, adding that the girl and her alleged kidnapper, 23-year-old Marina Noriega, were located by Phoenix police.
A security guard working at a QuikTrip in Phoenix spotted the girl and Noriega after getting an Amber Alert the day before, AZ Family reported. He quickly got help from a moving team that was also at the gas station. They used their trucks to box in the woman’s vehicle, making it hard for her to move. The security guard then called 911.
Before her rescue, Kehlani Rogers was last seen at her family’s home in Avondale around 11:30 p.m. on February 20, according to the Amber Alert released.
According to public court records obtained by 12 News, the girl’s parents, who have not been named, told Avondale police she was taken by a “random woman” they let into their home because she “needed a place to stay.” They woke up early on the morning of February 21 to find Noriega and their daughter gone.
Police got a tip from a person claiming to have given Noriega and Kehlani a ride to Maricopa, Arizona. Noriega allegedly told the person she was planning to catch a train to California. The person later recognized them from the Amber Alert.
Video surveillance footage showed the woman and the toddler around Maricopa.
Police questioned Noriega after taking her into custody. She allegedly claimed to be the girl’s mother, according to court documents, but later she admitted that she wasn’t, saying she “made a mistake.”
“Marina denied having any plan for the child after she took her and denied intent to sell or harm the child,” investigators wrote.
She reportedly denied having a reason to go to Maricopa and claimed she and Kehlani “slept on the street.” Police do not believe the toddler was harmed after being abducted, News 12 reported.
Noriega was charged with custodial interference and issued a $250,000 cash-only bond.
