RUPERT, Idaho — Officers with the California Highway Patrol were able to track a missing Idaho girl and her alleged abductor through the snow, ultimately catching up with them in the Tahoe National Forest.
The new details about how police found 14-year-old Nayeli were released Monday by Idaho State Police, more than a week after the Rupert girl was found safe.
According to ISP, the teen was reported missing to Rupert Police by her mother on April 16. Authorities said the girl was considered to be in imminent danger, and named 35-year-old C. Villanueva Galarza and 18-year-old Sergio Anaya Alcantar as suspects in her kidnapping.
As ISP prepared to issue an AMBER Alert, police learned that the suspects' vehicle was crossing over the California border. The AMBER Alert was ultimately issued to targeted parts of California as well as southern Idaho.
Just after 1 a.m. on April 17, California Highway Patrol officers fund one of the suspects and the suspect vehicle at the Westbound Donner Summit Rest Area along I-80 in northern California.
After further investigation, police learned that Nayeli and the second suspect had headed north from the highway into the Tahoe National Forest. Officers were able to track Nayeli and the second suspect through the snow, ultimately catching up to them in the forest.
The AMBER Alert was canceled at about 2:45 a.m. MST. According to Idaho State Police, the 14-year-old was placed into the custody of California Child Protective Services, while Galarza and Alcantar were both arrested on kidnapping charges.
"Rupert PD and ISP would like to thank CHP for their participation and quick action in safely recovering our missing child," Idaho State Police wrote in a news release.
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