A 4-year-old girl was located safely in Mexico after she disappeared nearly nine months ago from South Florida, WTVJ reports. On Wednesday (August 23), the Miami Police Department cancelled the missing child alert for Carolina Rodriguez Vizcarra, who was three years old when she vanished on December 28, 2022.
Carolina was last seen in the area of the 200 block of Northwest 15th Street in Miami, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Miami Police revealed the girl was in good health and living with her 34-year-old mother, also named Carolina Vizcarra, and her maternal grandmother this entire time in Mexico.
FLDE and Miami Police didn't issue an alert until this week despite the disappearance happening months ago. Officials said they feared for the girl's safety at the time.
Vizcarra faced many legal challenges around Carolina's custody. WPLG reported the mother was arrested in October 2021 for leaving her then 2-year-old daughter alone at Mercy Hospital. She told officers at the time she was homeless and didn't want the young girl living on the streets. Carolina was then placed into the custody of the Florida Department of Child and Families.
The mother had temporary custody of the girl in December 2022, which is when officials believe they traveled to Mexico. Police said it wasn't until this month that they found out about Vizcarra violating a court order regarding Carolina's custody.
In a Thursday (August 24) statement obtained by WTVJ, DCF claims they've reached out to law enforcement multiple times about Carolina's disappearance.
"Our Department contacted law enforcement in January of 2023, the day we became aware of the incident, to notify them of this missing child and to follow-up at least 10 times until the report was finally accepted in July, including Miami PD. Our Department continues to work with law enforcement on this investigation," the statement reads. "The Department conducts investigations concerning all allegations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Information regarding investigations is confidential per section 39.202, Florida Statutes."
Reporters said the mother remains in Mexico but has to return to Miami to face DCF in court.