GLENDALE, ARIZONA: An 18-year-old Arizona woman who was listed as missing for four years before visiting a police station and requesting to be taken off the missing persons list has moved to a reservation in Montana.
On Thursday, runaway Alicia Navarro and her boyfriend Eddy Davis, 36, moved the rest of their belongings to his mother's trailer house on the Fort Belknap Reservation based on newly discovered photos of the couple. The two were seen carrying a number of items while emptying the trunk of an SUV after moving out of their rented apartment in Havre, Montana. The reservation, as per New York Post, has a high rate of “violence, drugs and sex crimes.”
'We have high incidents of substance abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse..'
According to the website of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, the reservation is home to the Assiniboine (Nakoda) and Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) Tribes and was created in 1888. Connie Filesteel told New York Post that she had lived most of her life as a tribal member on the reservation and had experienced a great deal of hardship. "We have high incidents of substance abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse [and a] lot of inter-generational traumas with abuse in general."
Filesteel said, "We obviously have a lot of real positives but also we also deal with a lot of these inter-generational traumas." Navarro vanished a few days before turning 15 years old. The teen, who was high-functioning but described as autistic, left her Glendale home in September 2019 in the middle of the night.
'I ran away. I will be back. I swear. I'm sorry'
Later, her parents were shocked to discover a note that said, "I ran away. I will be back. I swear. I'm sorry." Jessica Nuez, Navarro's mother, quickly started a nationwide search for her child. In light of recent events, Nuez exclaimed with joy that Navarro had been found, calling it a "miracle."
She said in a Facebook video, "For everyone who has missing loved ones, I want you to use this case as an example," She added, "Miracles do exist. Never lose hope and always fight." The teen being discovered safe and sound gave Nuez hope that they would soon be reunited. A spokesperson for the Glendale Police Department said, "It is a blessing that after being missing for so long Alicia can come back home,"
They added, "Alicia is an adult, so it will be her decision as to whether or not she remains in Montana, returns to Arizona, or goes elsewhere, regardless of the investigation." According to reports, there is no proof that Davis was involved in Navarro's disappearance. Navarro also claimed to be uninjured and stated that she was free to come and go. The police have confirmed her innocence.
