Good afternoon. My
name is Jose Santiago.
I'm the media manager here at
the Glendale Police Department.
We want to first start off by
telling you I'll thank you for r
coverage on this announcement t.
It is a major announcement for us here
at the Glendale Police Departme.
I want to start off by saying tt
there's a lot of mixed emotions with this
particular announcement that we're having.
We are happy and at the same time we're
hopeful that we will be able to supply
this family a little bit more closure.
With that, I would like to tellu
that Alicia Navarro has been located.
She is by all accounts safe.
She is by all accounts healthy
and she is by all accounts happ.
She was located in a very smalln
in Montana near the Canadian bo.
We can tell you that she went ta
local Police Department in that area.
She identified herself as Alicia
Navarro and at that point our
officers went into investigation mode.
We conducted several types of interviews
and not only through those interviews,
but through the help of Alicia's
family themselves.
We are confident that the person
that we are talking with and are
dealing with is indeed Alicia Navarro.
I can't even begin to express to
you all the pride that I persony
have in the men and women here
at our Police Department.
Since her discovery,
our men and women here have been
working tirelessly around the clock to
not only bring closure to this family,
but to make sure that Alicia ges
everything that she possibly ne.
I'm also going to bring up
Lieutenant Scott Waite.
It's his team that has been
leading this investigation.
He will have a few words.
Thank you Jose again. Lieutenant Scott Wake,
Glendale Police Department.
I don't think you could put enough words
in the the joy that we feel knog
earlier this week when we receia
call that Alicia Navarro had identified
herself to police officers in Montana.
Not only the relief and joy for,
for Alicia, for her family and for our
community, there hasn't been, I think,
anybody that hasn't known this investigation,
that hasn't put themselves
in the same spot as Alicia,
her family and the emotions
that they must be going through,
not only back in 2019 when this occurred,
but in the last few days.
With that, we want you to know t
we are continuing to investigat.
We immediately responded to thea
and with the help of the United States
Marshall Service as well as the,
we've been able to continue
this investigation,
to make contact with Alicia,
to reunite her with her family and only
begin to put together the puzzle which
is her disappearance and her returning.
I would ask patience,
not only for us as law enforcemt
and this investigation,
but patience for Alicia and for her family.
We can only imagine what she's g
through mentally, emotionally,
as well as her family.
And as much as we'd like to
to say this is the end,
we know this is probably only
the beginning of where this
investigation will go and that e
will continue to work with our state,
local federal partners and even
across state lines to make suret
Alicia has everything that she needs,
that she's taken care of,
that her family is getting the p
that they need and that most importantly
that this investigation is compd
thoroughly and done correctly.
Thank you.
Just to quickly echo what
Lieutenant Wait just said,
it is this case is far from ove.
We do have the resolution
that we have located, Alicia,
but there's still a lot of quess
that will still need to be answ.
There's still a lot of investigating that
are not only our employees have to do,
but as well as these other
partnering agencies.
So once again, we are asking tht
you all have patience with us.
We will supply information as it
becomes available and we also
have a message from Alicia hersf
who is asking for privacy.
This has been a traumatic situan
for her as you can imagine,
but she is looking to be able
to move on in her life.
She's looking to build a life fr
herself and she's asking for soe
privacy and patience as well.
With that,
we will open the floor to quest.
Was she with anyone? Right now?
We don't know if she's been with
anyone for the length of time
that she's been missing.
We're still investigating that actively.
We can tell you that when she
showed up to the Police Departm,
she was by herself.
She's been by herself each time,
and she's been cooperative.
As you put these puzzle pieces together,
are you thinking that this was a runaway
situation of possible kidnappin?
Are all options kind of on the table?
We certainly don't want to eliminate any
options from the statements that she made.
This started as a runaway situa.
She reiterated as much.
But there's of course more dynamics of way
as you start to put together the puzzle.
I would say that all options
are on the table and we will not
discount anything until we've de
a full and complete investigati.
And also I want to point out tht
we have Phil Bates with the FBI
here that is also willing to anr
any questions that you might ha.
She she was 14 at the time,
she just she is getting ready to turn 19.
So she's currently 18 years old.
She went missing in the
middle of September of 2019,
and her birthday was a couple
days after she went missing.
How did she get to Montana?
We don't know yet. That's certainly part
of the investigation and answers that
we're hoping to get from Elisia herself.
I'm sorry. How old is she now? She is 18.
She's getting ready to turn 19 in September.
Did she show up to that
Police Department alone?
Was she with anyone? Yeah.
So when she came to the Police
Department, she did come alone.
As our detectives and as the
local PD up there have talked
with her and met with her,
she's always been alone.
Did you say the name of
the town that she went to?
At this time? We're not going
to release that information,
not only out of respect
for Alicia and her privacy,
but this is a very small town.
We can tell you that.
It is close to the Canadian bor.
It's about 40 miles from the Canadian
border in Montana and they are working
alongside us to help resolve ale
questions that we have in this .
So out of respect for the investigation
as well as the respect for Alics
privacy were withholding that
is anyone facing charges currently or
could anyone potentially face charges? I
mean, there's always the potential that
somebody could face charges as s
investigation unfolds and we get more
clarification on what happened to her.
That's certainly a possibility,
but I can't say that there's anything
imminent or pending at this tim.
You mentioned she turned herself
into a Police Department.
Would that be Montana?
She was in Montana turning
herself in as a strong statemen.
She showed up to a Police Department.
She identified herself as Alicia Navarro,
and she basically asked for helo
clear her off of a missing juvenile list.
She, by all accounts,
went on her own free will.
She is not in any kind of troub.
She's not facing any kind of charges.
She is not being held anywhere.
She is coming and going at her n
free will and she has been extry
cooperative with not only our fs
but the our federal partners as well.
Does she want to come back to
Arizona? I still think it's reay
early in her healing process
as to where she wants to stay,
and that's certainly up to her.
And we will help her in any way
possible to make sure that she s
in her best situation in the mot
comfortable that she could possibly be.
I know that her mom has been
searching for her since she wen.
Missy, you said that you were ae
to reunite her family and her k.
Were you there for that?
Can you describe what that was ?
I emotionally overwhelming,
not only for the mother
but for Alicia herself.
With respect to the family,
I'm not going to go into specifs
on how that reunification was d,
but I can say for everybody involved,
including the detectives,
is extremely overwhelming.
Which family members were there
for that? The first notification
was to her mother and that
was the first notification.
And I would say reunification.
That's happened.
Did the investigation ever
indicate 1 to anyone? So
throughout the last few years
there's been a lot of tips leads
citizen upon citizen who's wantd
to help with this investigation.
And I can tell you that each tid
lead were looked into as to specifics
where there were any in Montana,
I would have to look back and s.
But I know that there are some
that spanned across all parts
of this country early.
But like, was she saying
that a friend in Montana or
we just don't know the answer to that question right now, right now, that
those are some of the questions that we have.
She's she's overwhelmed, she's overwhelmed.
She realizes that there's been
a lot of attention on this case.
She is very knowledgeable
as far as that's concerned.
Right now, her priority is to work with us.
She wanted to talk to her mom
and she wanted to make sure her
mother knew which she was okay.
And we're taking it day by day,
step by step with her.
You know, it's important to
tag along to what Lieutenant
Wade just said with this case.
There were literally thousands f
tips that would come in on this case.
This has been going on for
nearly four years now.
And every one of those tips,
every one of those possibilities
were looked into, investigated.
And we're just happy to say that
she did indeed come forward.
And we are very,
we feel very strongly that this is Alicia.
I know she had let them know before she left.
Do we know that or can we confirm that
she did indeed leave her house voluntarily
from every indication that she's given us?
And again, it's very early in te
investigation and I need to strs
again patience and that it is e,
but every indication she's given us so
far as that she willfully left her home,
our own free will and choice.
Now, the dynamics surrounding
that decision are obviously
something that we're looking in.
I know we have an FBI representative here.
I don't know if he wants to share his
role and all. And
this is Phil Bates.
As with every missing juvenile case, the FBI
assist our state and local parts
with intelligence gathering and
with other resources as necessa.
This is no different in this ca.
We provided support to the Glene
Police Department and will conte
to support both here in Arizonad
in Montana. What are
the next steps in a case like t?
Obviously she's safe and happy
and healthy at this point.
No indication that anybody is bg
charged with any sort of crime.
But what are the next steps?
What does your investigation
look like from here? Complex.
It's multifaceted.
There's two parts to it and
any investigation like this,
there's a criminal element.
Of course there is.
We want to search and find the
answers if there was any criminl
intent behind it, certainly not
from her but from others involv.
And then there's also the
assistance side of it.
To us she's a victim and we neeo
provide services to her whethert
be mental or just health wise or just
helping her get her life back in order.
So there's certainly a lot of different
things that we want to make surt
only for Alicia but her family t
we cover all the steps that we .
I can say that she didn't require any
immediate medical attention or any medical
attention since we've been with.
Again, I think cause they say to well,
she seems happy and healthy to the extent
that she can be given the circumstance.
But that's certainly something that we
want to help provide for her and make
sure that if she hasn't seen a doctor
in the last few years that those
things that we are able to provide for
and make sure that she has everything
necessary to really move on witr
life and enjoy the rest of her life. Was
there any social media involvem,
things that we did speak on whee
first left that somebody probaby
did speak to her and convince hr
to house through social media,
could that be the case?
So that's part of any investiga.
That was obviously part of
the initial investigation.
The family was very supportive
and cooperative and providing
whatever information that they d
as to her will call social media
fingerprint and what she was us.
I can tell you that we follow
those leads extensively.
We continue to follow them.
We continue to look back from the very day,
minute, hour that she left and y
and go down every lead that we n
to see if that'll provide answe.
And certainly now that hasn't
stopped and will continue
any inclination of why now and a lot of
these cases don't turn out like this.
So can you tell us your reaction as well?
I think for Alicia is that
she felt like now was the time
that whether it's emotionally,
mentally, that she wants to
take the next steps in her life,
she's expressed a desire to move forward
in life and do the things that a normal,
healthy adult would do.
And we certainly want to help her get those.
So I can't say that there's
any single triggering moment.
I think there's probably been ag
progression for her in the journey that
she's taken and we are more than happy,
ready and willing to help her
through the rest of her path.
Yes, she is still there with the local
police up there with our investigators,
and we are continuing to help
her in whatever way we can.
Can you tell us when she went
to a Police Department, was it
within the last few days? Within
the last few days,
once we wrap up this press conference,
we will be emailing out to your desks
a photograph that was taken of her when
she arrived at the Police Department.
I will tell you, just to
be direct, it will look.
She doesn't look much differentn
she did when she disappeared.
She is 18 years old.
She's getting ready to turn 19,
but her appearance is still thaf
a very young looking young lady.
Besides the photograph that
we will be releasing,
we will send two very small vido
clips of some of the very small
portion of interviews that were
done by our officers via FaceTie
prior to seeing her facetoface.
Alicia is by all accounts again.
She just appears to be in good spirits.
She really just wants to
move on with her life.
She is very apologetic to what
she has put her mother through,
Has expressed that and she understands that.
She caused a lot of pain to her mother
and it was not intentional on her behalf.
And she's hopeful that they
can have a relationship.
If there's no further questions, we're
going to wrap it up there. Thank you guys.