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The mother of former missing Arizona teenager Alicia Navarro has asked the public to move on, stating that the amount of attention has put the family’s safety at risk.
Jessica Nuñez began her Facebook video statement on Sunday afternoon by thanking the public for the amount of support the family has received since her daughter’s disappearance in 2019.
“I could never have kept going without all of your love, help and well wishes. I can’t even put into the words the amount of gratitude I have for you all,” Nuñez said.
As police continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to Alicia’s disappearance and reappearance at a Montana police station last week, Nuñez said the public’s search for answers has taken a dangerous turn.
“I have been harassed and my family has been attacked all over the internet. The public has gone from trying to help Alicia to doing things like trying to show up to her house and putting her safety in jeopardy,” Nuñez said.
Nuñez has also called for the public to stop making TikTok videos about the case and to stop contacting the family with any speculations, questions, or assumptions.
“This is not a movie; this is our life. This is my daughter. I love her more than anything in the world and I think I have shown you that. My job has always been to protect her. And just as I never gave up on her before, I won’t stand for the treatment of her now. There is an ongoing investigation, and I am begging you to move on,” Nuñez said.
Police do not plan on releasing any new information
Missing Glendale teen, Alicia Navarro, speaks to police after being reunited with her family
A short clip of Alicia Navarro, 18, making contact with the Glendale Police Department four years after her disappearance.
Courtesy of Glendale Police Department
Glendale detectives have not detained or made any arrests in connection with Alicia’s disappearance since interviewing four people in Havre, Montana late last week, police said Friday.
More than half a dozen uniformed, and undercover officers showed up to search a residence on Wednesday night, the Associated Press reported.
Officers took a man who appeared to be living there in handcuffs, according to a witness account. The man has since been released.
Navarro was spotted near the residence at the time of the search, the AP reported.
The names of the four individuals said to be involved with the case will not be released. Detectives are no longer in Havre but are still in contact with Alicia to ensure her needs are being met, according to police.
Authorities are still working to determine what happened over the past four years and whether a crime occurred. Kidnapping is a possibility, authorities said.
They have also declined to release any further details on the family’s reunion, saying that the family can elaborate on the matter if they wish. The family has been in contact remotely since Alicia’s reappearance.
“As you can imagine, this has been an emotional event for all involved. With that, we will not be releasing specific details surrounding the reunification and will allow Alicia and her family to discuss the circumstances if they choose to do so. Furthermore, please remember Alicia is an adult and it is up to her whether she chooses to remain in Montana, return to Arizona, or go elsewhere,” police said Monday.
Police have also requested that the privacy of Alicia and her family be respected at this time.
More: Alicia Navarro updates: Police question man after teen missing for years located
Alicia Navarro located after expansive four-year search
The Glendale native, now 18, stopped by a local Havre police department alone on July 23 to identify herself.
Glendale police detectives went to work on corroborating her identity through extensive interviews and with help from the Navarro family.
At a Wednesday news conference, Glendale Police Department information officer Jose Santiago said Alicia was found safe, healthy and happy.
Police in Havre and private investigator Trent Steele said when Alicia walked into the city’s police department, she also talked about wanting to move forward in life as an adult, including getting a driver’s license.
Alicia reported that she hadn’t been harmed, wasn’t being held, and could come and go as she pleased. She does not face any criminal charges, they added.
She initially vanished from her home on Sept. 15, 2019, about a week before her 15th birthday. Alicia left her mother a handwritten note in her bedroom saying she would come back home, according to The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Alicia’s mother previously told the Republic she suspected her daughter may have been abducted by someone she met while online gaming, a hobby she’d taken up at 11 years old.
In the years following her daughter’s disappearance, Jessica Nuñez partnered with private investigative agencies, put up billboards, appeared on television programs and used social media to find her.
Nuñez has also amassed a loyal following on social media throughout the years by sharing inspirational quotes, photos of Alicia as a young child and posts addressed directly to her daughter.
For years, Nuñez documented her efforts to find her daughter on a Facebook page titled “Finding Alicia” and an audio podcast. In an emotional video uploaded Wednesday, Nuñez said “For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to use this case as an example. Miracles do exist. Never lose hope and always fight.”
ICYMI: Missing Arizona teenager Alicia Navarro reunited with her family after four years
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