FBI Albuquerque
Office of Public Affairs
(505) 889-1300
September 24, 2021

FBI Media Alert: FBI Update on Kirtland, New Mexico Case Involving 13-Year-Old Girl

An FBI investigation has determined that the reported abduction of a 13-year-old girl in Kirtland, New Mexico, on September 14 was not a kidnapping.

The male suspect who had been sought has been identified and interviewed while the investigation continues.

“We and our law enforcement partners are still sorting out what happened, but we spare no resources when we get a report that a child may be in danger,” Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Division said. “I want to thank the special agents and staff in our Farmington Resident Agency for the hours they spent on this case. I also want to express our gratitude to the public for the information they sent us and to the media for helping us get the word out.”

The girl, who was reported missing the night of September 14, was found alive the next day at a trading post in Red Valley, Arizona.

The FBI is working with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety on this investigation.