Missing girl kidnapped six years ago found alive living under different name

A young girl who went missing in California has been found alive and well on the other side of the country, after disappearing without a trace six years ago.

Law enforcement initially received a missing report regarding the child from Duarte, California in February 2020, but were unable to locate the five-year-old girl, or her mother.

The now 11-year-old victim was located this week after information provided to Washington County Sheriff's Office, in North Carolina, led to deputies noticing the child being enrolled in the local school system under a fake name.

A multi-agency response ensued to secure the historic missing persons case, with investigators from her home state to North Carolina working to locate the girl and take her into protective custody.

Officers located her 2000 miles away from where she grew up in Duarte, California (Washington County NC Sheriffs Office)

Officials said, in an update to the public on Tuesday, March 10, that the 11-year-old is now safe, in what was a very unlikely case to solve.

Washington County NC Sheriffs Office said: "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."

Officers added that the child's identity is being protected to preserve her privacy.

Revealing more information about what led to her disappearance, LA County Sheriffs said that their Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) were the ones who contacted local law enforcement to report the girl missing.

They said that DCFS had been conducting an investigation involving the child at the time of her disappearance. They also said that the child's mother retained custody of the child at the time she went missing, but had stopped responding to the agency.

The child from Duarte, California, was part of an investigation by LA's Children and Family Services when she vanished (Getty Stock Image)

The LA County Sheriffs added the mom 'was believed to have taken the child.'

Officers revealed that the initial realization that the girl was being enrolled in the local school system came after 'detectives received information suggesting the child might be in Washington County.'

Neither law enforcement agency revealed whether any arrests had been made or were foreseeable in their statements.

LA County Sheriffs said: "The investigation remains ongoing. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continues to work with DCFS and authorities in North Carolina."

Meanwhile, many parents on Facebook heaped praise on the officers for locating the victim six years after she first went missing. One said: "If you do nothing else of substance in a career, this single case makes it all worth it. Good job to all the men and woman involved."