California Girl Missing Since 2020 Found at NC School

The trail of a 5-year-old California girl who vanished in 2020 just took a stunning turn in rural North Carolina. Authorities say the child, now 11, was found this week enrolled in a Washington County school under a fake name, some 2,650 miles from where she was last seen near Los Angeles. The discovery came after California investigators tipped off the Washington County Sheriff's Office that the long-missing kidnapping victim might be in the area, reports the Charlotte Observer.

Deputies say they confirmed her identity, took her into protective custody, and report that she is safe. The girl has been identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as Karen Rojas, missing from Duarte, Calif., since June 2, 2020.

"These are very rare occurrences to have such a positive outcome on such an old case as this, but it reminds us that through hard work, and dedication, and cooperation, stories with positive outcomes like these can happen," said the Washington County Sheriff's Office via social media. No arrests have been announced, and officials say they're still investigating how she ended up in North Carolina.