16-year-old girl missing from Carson since New Year's Day found
A 16-year-old girl who went missing from her family's Carson home on New Year's Day, prompting fears by her family that she was the victim of human trafficking, has been found, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
No details on where Alinka Angeline Castaneda was found or the circumstances of her disappearance have been released.
A $100,000 reward for information leading to the teen was being offered, but it was unclear if anyone will be paid.
Castaneda went missing on Jan. 1, 2023, at 5 a.m. She was last seen on the 23000 blocks of S. Caroldale Avenue entering an unknown vehicle.
Castaneda did not contact her family until nearly three weeks later, claiming she was unable to leave her location. She later said her family needed to pick her up at Union Station at 10 p.m. However, when her family arrived she was not there.
They waited at the transportation hub for 6-8 hours, but Castaneda never appeared.