Surprise police: Idaho teen whose disappearance sparked AMBER Alert found; suspect in custody

Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

Loading Video…

This browser does not support the Video element.

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- Police in Surprise announced early Tuesday morning that a teenage girl whose disappearance sparked AMBER Alerts in Idaho and Arizona has been found.

According to Sgt. Tim Klarkowski with Surprise Police, a multiagency search team has located 17-year-old Sandra Rios-Chavez. Rios-Chavez, who appeared to be unharmed, is waiting to be reunited with her family. Meanwhile, the suspect in her disappearance, identified as Miguel Rodriguez-Perez, was taken into police custody without further incident. Both were located within search areas where the multi-agency search team had been concentrating their efforts.

According to officials, Rios-Chavez was last seen on May 19 at 6:00 p.m. at a Wendy's restaurant in Jerome, Idaho, a town about 116 miles southeast of Boise, and Miguel Rodriguez-Perez is believed by authorities to have forcibly taken Rios-Chavez.

ADOT officials said Rodriguez-Perez's phone has been pinged in Kingman, and that sparked an AMBER Alert for Rios-Chavez's disappearance to be issued in Arizona Monday night.

After the AMBER Alert was issued, Surprise police say officers patrolling in the West Valley near Grand Avenue and Patton Road located a black Audi car that matched the description of the suspect's vehicle, and attempted a traffic stop.

The car sped away and was found abandoned by officers near Norwich Drive and Beacon Field Boulevard.

Following a five-hour search, police say Rios-Chavez and Rodriguez-Perez were both found.

Rodriguez-Perez was booked into jail on an outstanding felony warrant out of Idaho and Rios-Chavez was placed into DCS custody. She will be reunited with her family.