What happened to Alinka Castaneda? Details explored as Carson missing girl found alive

On Monday, April 17, 16-year-old Carson girl Alinka Castaneda was found alive after being seen by an unnamed source in Venice, Los Angeles. According to NBC Los Angeles, Castaneda had been missing since January 1. Upon being found, the teenager told officers that she was not a victim of kidnapping or human trafficking.

According to ABC, three weeks after her disappearance, Alinka Castaneda called her family and told them that she was unable to leave her location, leading relatives to believe that she had been abducted. She told her family to pick her up at Union Station at 10 am. Her family waited for approximately 6 hours, but she never arrived. Authorities are suspicious of her new claims of not being victimized, and they are continuing to investigate the circumstances behind her disappearance.

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Alinka Castaneda attempted to contact her family at least three times

As per CBS, Alinka Castaneda went missing at approximately 5 am on New Year's Day. She was reportedly last seen entering an unknown vehicle. During the search, her family offered a $100,000 reward to anyone who could find her. It is unclear whether or not the person who provided the tipoff received the amount.

At the time of the disappearance, Alinka Castaneda's mother, Maricela Avila Roses, said that her daughter may have been kidnapped by a known person. She said:

"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."

She also added that her daughter had left home without an ID, credit card, or change of clothes. She stated that the 16-year-old's cellphone was also disconnected for the majority of the duration that she was missing. She added that she received three calls from Castanada, indicating her daughter was concerned about her circumstances.

Moses Castillo, a retired police officer and advocate of the victims' family, provided details about the calls. Castillo said:

“She’s called her family at least three different times. Each time she sounded under duress. And she said something to the effect of, ‘They’re not letting me go. I don’t know where I am at,’ and that she has to hang up."

According to officials, there were inconsistencies in Alinka Castaneda's account of her disappearance. However, her mother told reporters that she is not concerned about the details as yet and that she is relieved that her daughter has returned. She said:

"There is no time for complaints, no time for anything. Simply, when a mother finds her missing child -- hugging her, giving her love, giving her affection."

The case currently remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.