Areli Esmeralda Arroyo Osuna, and David Lopez.
Update – March 23, 9:03 a.m.: Areli Esmeralda Arroyo Osuna has been found safe, police said.
Our original article is below.
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There’s an AMBER Alert after a young man allegedly abducted a teenage girl. Authorities in Utah fear for the safety of Areli Esmeralda Arroyo Osuna, 14. They believe David Lopez, 20, who is also known as Amilsar Vasquez, abducted Osuna from the township of Magna and may be heading to either Texas or Mexico.
Osuna was last seen getting into Lopez’s car, said officers with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake. Authorities described the vehicle as an “older black Nissan Altima.” The pair was spotted Monday at 9:50 a.m., according to the AMBER Alert notice.
The teenager and her alleged abductor apparently met on social media, police spokesperson Melody Cutler said, according The Salt Lake Tribune. Investigators suggest Lopez went from Texas to Utah to pick Osuna up. Authorities originally described Areli as a runaway. Cutler said investigators are still trying to figure out if Lopez is from Texas.
Images of Areli Esmeralda Arroyo Osuna via the Unified Greater Salt Lake Police.
Officers did not go into much detail about the circumstances behind the alleged abduction. The state’ s criteria for an AMBER Alert are as follows:
- Law enforcement believes a child or children have been abducted;
- Law enforcement believes the victim(s) face imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death;
- The child or children are 17 years old or younger;
- There is information that could assist the public in the safe recovery of the victim or apprehension of a suspect.
Police said they believe Osuna to be in “some serious danger,” according to KSTU. She is described as white, standing 4’7″ tall, weighing 90 pounds, and having brown hair and brown eyes. She wore denim pants, a denim jacket, white Nikes, a black shirt, and was carrying a large white bag.
Anyone with information can contact the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake at (385) 468-9858, or if you’re local, call 911. You can also reach (385) 468-9838 or a 24-hour hotline at (801) 840-4000.
[Images via Utah AMBER Alert and Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake]