DNA databases can be scary, but sometimes the technology can be used for good. A Connecticut father has finally been reunited with his daughter after a 25-year search following her abduction as a toddler, and advanced DNA technology helped him do it.
At a glance:
• Andrea Reyes was abducted at age 2 by her non-custodial mother from Connecticut in 1999
• Her father spent 25 years searching for her across Mexico while holding legal custody
• Detective Kealyn Nivakoff reopened the cold case in 2023, locating Andrea in Puebla, Mexico
• DNA testing confirmed the relationship between father and daughter after decades apart
• Family abductions represent the second most common form of child kidnapping in America, with 1,185 cases reported in 2023 alone
25-Year Search Ends in DNA-Powered Miracle
Carlos Reyes-Couvertier never gave up hope of finding his daughter Andrea after her mother, Rosa Tenorio, abducted her during a scheduled visitation in New Haven, Connecticut in 1999. The desperate father spent more than two decades searching across Mexico for his little girl, who was just shy of two years old when she disappeared.
The breakthrough came when Detective Kealyn Nivakoff of the New Haven Police Department reopened the cold case in 2023, utilizing advanced investigation techniques including social media searches, interviews, and search warrants. What followed was a textbook example of how modern DNA technology can resolve even decades-old cases when paired with determined investigators.
“It was a moment of joy,” said Carlos Reyes-Couvertier, now 55, about reconnecting with his daughter for the first time in more than 25 years. “We have some sense of happiness, but the chapter is not closed yet. There’s a lot of steps that we have to take.”
Andrea, now 27, was discovered living in Puebla, Mexico, a city of over one million people where she had been raised under a different identity. Mexican authorities had actually identified Andrea and her mother back in 2000 but refused to return the child to her father, claiming parental kidnapping wasn’t an extraditable offense despite Reyes-Couvertier having full legal custody.
The Silent Epidemic of Family Abductions
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reports that family abductions represent the second most common form of child kidnapping in America. The organization received reports of 1,185 such cases in 2023 alone, with family abductions accounting for a staggering 59% of all AMBER Alerts issued last year.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about family abduction cases is that the children are safe and ‘not really missing’ because they’re with a parent,” said Angeline Hartmann of the NCMEC. “At NCMEC, we know that there is a lot of emotion behind these cases, and these scenarios can be unpredictable and dangerous. These children ARE missing and living a life on the run with their kidnapper.”
The arrest warrant for Rosa Tenorio on felony custodial interference charges remains active in the United States. Despite Mexican authorities locating her in 2000, they informed American officials “the Government of Mexico would not take further action to remove Andrea from her mother,” according to New Haven PD Sgt. John Moore.
But these are the kind of problems that Democrats keep telling us don’t exist.
Faith and Technology Pave Path to Healing
Andrea and her father have begun communicating via phone and messaging, with plans for an in-person reunion soon. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is assisting in preparing for the emotional challenges of this long-awaited meeting after twenty-five years of separation.
“Thank you for sharing in our joy in finding our daughter Andrea,” said Lucia Rafala, Andrea’s stepmother. “After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed us with a chance to know her again. We recognize that this reacquaintance will have challenges, however, we are confident that God is building the path before us and leading our steps.”
