Texas girl reunited with mother after police track her to Mexico
By Suzanne Stevens
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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KRIS) — Portland police say a 12-year-old girl has been reunited with her mother in Houston after being taken to Mexico by her father, ending a years long investigation that began as a welfare concern.
Investigators said the case started in 2021 when authorities began looking into the child’s well-being. At the time, police said the father, Neftaly Garcia, had physical custody of the girl because her mother was in the United States on a visa. That custody arrangement, however, came with restrictions.“There was custody paperwork between the two, and after reviewing that paperwork, I found that one of the restrictions was that no party could ever leave the country,” said Lt. Joe Tamez of the Portland Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division during a news conference Tuesday.
Despite that restriction, investigators later learned the child had been taken to Mexico. Police said a tip from the girl’s babysitter helped confirm her location.
Authorities said they contacted the U.S. Marshals Service early in the investigation and continued working with agencies across borders to locate the child and bring her home.“The healing process now begins for them,” said District Attorney Margie Silva Flores. “But we celebrate the fact that she has been rescued and that a mother and her daughter are reunited.”
Police did not release additional information about Garcia, saying only that kidnapping charges have been filed and that federal charges could be added.
The 12-year-old is currently undergoing assessments, authorities said.
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