Alinka Castaneda, a Los Angeles teenager, was reported missing in January, causing great distress for her family who had no news of her for months.

According to police reports, on January 1, after leaving her family home in Carson, California, Castaneda was last seen entering an unknown vehicle on South Carodale Avenue, moments after a man approached her, as shown by footage from a nearby doorbell camera.

Although the family initially believed she may have run away, they became increasingly certain that was not the case as time passed. Their fears were confirmed when they received a phone call from Castaneda herself, during which she revealed that she was being held against her will by an adult man, known to the police.

Moses Castillo, a retired detective and private investigator involved in the case, disclosed that the situation was a kidnapping, but provided no further information about the suspect at the time. During the phone call, Castaneda sounded distressed and stated that she did not know where she was and was not permitted to leave.

The police had classified Castaneda as a “critical missing juvenile” and had appealed to the public to assist in locating her, citing concerns about her safety and well-being.

To encourage the public to come forward with information about the case, a $100,000 reward had been offered, which eventually led to the police locating the suspects and rescuing Castaneda. After nearly three months, she was reunited with her family. It is currently unknown if any arrests have been made in connection with the case.