A California girl who vanished at age 5 in 2020 has been found alive nearly six years later — more than 2,600 miles away and living under a different name.
Karen Rojas was only five when she disappeared from Duarte, California, a city near Los Angeles, on June 2, 2020.
Authorities later said the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) was already investigating a case involving the child when concerns about her whereabouts first emerged. As those concerns grew, the agency contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LACSD) to report the girl missing.
Child believed to be with mother
“The child’s mother – who had custody – stopped communicating with DCFS personnel and was believed to have taken the child,” LACSD explained in a statement.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) later listed Karen as a missing child, and the case remained unresolved for years.
In an effort to renew attention, the organization released an age-progressed image in December 2025 showing what Karen might look like as she grew older, hoping the updated photo would generate new leads, People reports.
For years, however, the case produced few answers.
Breakthrough thousands of miles away
Nearly six years after Karen vanished, a tip finally put authorities back on her trail – more than 2,600 miles from the California city where she disappeared.
Acting on the information, investigators in Los Angeles alerted law enforcement in North Carolina that the missing girl might be living in Washington County, prompting deputies there to follow up on the lead. Acting on the information, investigators in Los Angeles alerted law enforcement in North Carolina that the missing girl might be living in Washington County, prompting deputies there to follow up.
Their search soon uncovered a surprising detail: a child believed to be Karen had been enrolled in the county’s school system – but under a different name.
The discovery was later confirmed by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WSCO).
“With the information provided to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were able to determine that the child was enrolled in Washington County Schools under an alias name,” WCSO shared in a March 10 Facebook post. “The child was taken into protective custody and is SAFE!”
Girl located and taken into custody
The now-11-year-old was taken into protective custody while authorities worked to ensure her safety.
The WCSO said the successful outcome highlights the importance of cooperation between agencies working long-term missing person cases.
“These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“But it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen.”
Investigation still ongoing
Although Karen has now been found, authorities say the investigation is still ongoing. Officials in California and North Carolina have not confirmed whether anyone has been arrested, and few details have been released about how the girl came to be living under another name or who was acting as her guardian with during the years she was missing.
WCSO did not release the child’s name for “privacy reasons,” however, the girl was identified by NCMEC and ABC News.
Stories like this don’t happen every day. What are your thoughts on Karen’s discovery after all these years? Let us know in the comments – and share this story so others can join the conversation.
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