Girl Kidnapped in 2020 in California Found Alive in North Carolina [WATCH]

An 11-year-old girl who disappeared from California in 2020 has been located more than 2,500 miles away in North Carolina after authorities discovered she had been living under a different name and attending school, according to The New York Post.

Karen Rojas, who was kidnapped on June 2, 2020, was found in Washington County, North Carolina, according to law enforcement officials.

Authorities confirmed that the girl had been living in the area and was enrolled in school using an alias.

FOUND

An LA five-year-old abducted in 2020 is found SAFE on other side of US

Karen Rojas, who is now 11, was kidnapped from the city of Duarte in southern California on June 2, 2020.https://t.co/iRdgrhgr8j

— Williams Kris (@kris_willi28289) March 11, 2026

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The discovery followed coordination between investigators in California and law enforcement agencies in North Carolina.

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Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services notified authorities in Washington County that the missing child might be located in the state.

Investigators with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office subsequently located the girl in Washington County. Officials confirmed that she had been living there under a different name and attending school in the community.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed additional details about how the child came to be in North Carolina or who was responsible for her disappearance in 2020.

Because the case involves a minor, law enforcement officials said limited information is being released.

Following the discovery, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the case in a statement shared on social media, highlighting the unusual nature of a resolution in a long-running missing child investigation.

“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, dedication, and cooperation, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen,” the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities said the girl was taken into protective custody after she was located. Officials did not release additional information regarding her condition or immediate custody arrangements.

Cases involving missing children that remain unresolved for several years are often difficult for investigators to close, particularly when individuals move across state lines or use different identities.

In this case, cooperation between agencies in California and North Carolina played a role in the discovery.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Children and Family Services alerted investigators in Washington County after developing information that suggested the child could be located there.

The case drew renewed attention after authorities confirmed that the girl had been living openly in the community and attending school while using a different name.

Officials have not announced whether any arrests have been made or whether charges may be filed related to the child’s disappearance in 2020.

Law enforcement agencies also did not disclose how long Karen Rojas had been living in North Carolina before she was located.

Authorities emphasized that the outcome represents a rare positive development in a missing child investigation that remained unresolved for several years.

The investigation remains ongoing as officials continue to review the circumstances surrounding the girl’s disappearance and how she came to be living in Washington County.

A girl abducted from Duarte in 2020 at just five years old has been located safe in North Carolina.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Karen Rojas, now 11, was found Tuesday after investigators discovered she had been enrolled in school under an alias.

Authorities said… pic.twitter.com/Fwjm8DATXj

— (@Nerdy_Addict) March 11, 2026

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