Missing L.A. County Teen Found Alive After $100K Reward Offered

CARSON, CA — A 16-year-old girl who disappeared from her family's Carson home on New Year's Day and may have been held captive for months was reunited with her family Monday, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

Authorities released few details about the case just days after the Carson City Council announced a $100,000 reward for the safe return of 16-year-old Alinka Angeline Castaneda. Los Angeles Sheriff's Department detectives did not respond to Patch inquiries about potential arrests or suspects linked to her disappearance.

A former detective aiding the Castaneda family also told News Nation that there was at least one suspected male adult kidnapper and that investigators know the name of the primary suspect.

According to her family, Castaneda was last seen outside the home in the 23000 block of South Caroldale Avenue around 5 a.m. Jan. 1.

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At a news conference in March, the family and investigator Moses Castillo — a former police detective helping with the search — released footage from a Ring camera showing an unknown male approaching Alinka that morning just before she disappeared.

"Maybe she came out to wish somebody a happy new year, give them a happy new year hug, and then something went sideways from there," Castillo said. "I don't know."

The family says she disappeared without her cell phone or any other possessions.

Her family didn't hear from Castaneda for three weeks when she called her younger sister to say she didn't know where she was but was unable to leave.

Authorities traced the call to the Venice area.

"The sister said Alinka sounded scared in her voice, and that she didn't know where she was, but said that they (won't) let her go," Castillo said.

She called again later and told her family to pick her up one night at Union Station, but she never showed up, according to police.

The calls led her loved ones to fear she may have been abducted or trafficked.

Anyone with information about the case was urged to call the sheriff's department at 310-847-8362.

City News Service contributed to this report.