Kidnapped Connecticut Toddler Found 25 Years Later in Mexico: The Story of Andrea Michelle Reyes

Andrea Michelle Reyes was only 23 months old when she was kidnapped in the U.S. in 1999. Now she has been found alive in Mexico after 25 years, leading to an emotional reunion between father and daughter.

On October 5, 1999, Andrea Michelle Reyes was taken from her home in New Haven, Connecticut. Her mother, Rosa Tenorio, who did not have legal custody of her, was the main suspect in the abduction. Authorities believed that Tenorio had fled with Andrea to Mexico, specifically to the city of Puebla. Despite initial efforts to find her, including an arrest warrant for custodial interference, the case went cold, and Andrea remained missing for decades.

Andrea's father, Rudy Reyes, never stopped looking for his daughter. He traveled to Mexico multiple times, trying to locate both Andrea and her mother, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Over the years he kept updating missing persons databases and sharing age-progression images of Andrea on social media, hoping someone would recognize her.

A breakthrough in the case

Detective Kealyn Nivakoff of the New Haven Police Department decided to reopen the case in 2023. Using a combination of interviews, search warrants, and social media analysis, she managed to track down Andrea in Puebla, Mexico.

To confirm her identity, authorities partnered with Othram, a Texas-based forensic DNA testing company. The results confirmed that Andrea was indeed the missing child from Connecticut, leading to an emotional reunion after more than two decades.

The reunion

Andrea, now 27 years old, still resides in Mexico. While she has reunited with her father, details about her current relationship with her mother, Rosa Tenorio, remain unclear. The arrest warrant for Tenorio is still active in the U.S., but since she is believed to still be in Mexico, extradition remains a legal challenge.