14-year-old Utah girl missing 2 weeks in Mexico found safe; uncle facing kidnapping charge

A 14-year-old Utah girl and two young cousins missing in Mexico for nearly two weeks have been found safe, and a man is now facing charges in connection to what authorities say was a kidnapping.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that they found Elizabeth “Ely” Gonzalez safe on Friday night in Mexico.

Gonzalez was visiting relatives in Mexico City when she disappeared on June 30, according to the FBI. The teen was last seen with her two young cousins, ages 4 and 6, when all three disappeared from the San Juan Tlihuaca neighborhood of Azcapotzalco, a borough in Mexico City, according to Mexican Amber alerts issued for the girls.

Mexican authorities found the girls with a man identified as Antonio Moreno around 9:30 p.m. Friday in Veracruz, Mexico, according to authorities.

Here's what we know:

Gonzalez never returned from trip to convenience store, family says

Authorities told KTVX-TV that they believe Gonzalez may have been manipulated by an adult to get into a taxi at the time of her disappearance.

Her mother, Alma Soreque, told the station that she spoke to her daughter the morning she went missing. Later that day, family members called to tell her Gonzalez had gone for a walk to a nearby convenience store and never returned.

Antonio Moreno facing kidnapping charges

The FBI said that a federal arrest warrant was issued for Moreno on charges related to Gonzalez’s disappearance, including kidnapping.

Moreno will be extradited back to the United States to face those charges, the agency said.

Moreno is Gonzalez’s uncle and the father of her cousins, according to a report by KTVX-TV .

Family members told the news outlet that Moreno has been living in Kaysville, about 22 miles north of Salt Lake City, and “abruptly traveled” to Mexico City the day the girls disappeared.

The report also detailed that Gonzalez was visiting her grandmother in Mexico City prior to her and her cousin's disappearance.

It's unclear whether Moreno has an attorney.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com . Follow her on Instagram , Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 14-year-old Utah girl missing 2 weeks in Mexico found safe; uncle facing kidnapping charge