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Case Description    (LOCATED)

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP38813) and 7 other sources
Here is a detailed, sourced synopsis of the Mariah Garcia missing person case and her eventual return, based entirely on publicly accessible online information:

Mariah Garcia was a 14‑year‑old Hispanic female when she disappeared on **June 16, 2016**, around **10:00 a.m.**, while at her family’s home on San Antonio’s West Side, in the 6300 block of Buena Vista near Commerce Street. At the time, she was described as approximately 5′ 2″ tall, weighing about 120 lb, with brown hair, brown eyes, and wearing dental braces (.

Within months of her disappearance—by September 2016—her aunt and mother described receiving a note from Mariah indicating she was “going to be okay” and asking that no one look for her. In the following months, her mother also received a Christmas card in December 2017 that family members believed was written in Mariah’s handwriting, suggesting she was still alive and perhaps remained in the Texas area.

Authorities, including the San Antonio Police Department and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children did **not suspect foul play** in her disappearance, but stressed that closure for her family remained elusive without any verified sighting or contact. Analysts with NCMEC also produced age-progressed imagery showing what she might look like around ages 17 and 18 to aid public recognition.

On **June 27, 2019**, San Antonio police, in partnership with the Texas Center for the Missing and Clear Channel Outdoor Americas, launched a citywide digital billboard campaign. Mariah’s posters were shown on multiple digital displays across San Antonio approximately **1,200 times per day for one month**, intended to generate new leads or sightings.

In a significant update, Mariah Garcia returned home on **October 2, 2019**—more than three years after her disappearance. She was 18 years old at the time, and upon her return, police officially declared she was no longer a missing person. NCMEC and local law enforcement considered the case closed in terms of active missing‑person status.

Throughout the period from her disappearance until her return, authorities continued to seek information from the public, asking anyone with potential leads—especially from San Antonio or adjacent areas—to contact the San Antonio Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit or NCMEC.

In summary, Mariah Garcia was last seen as a 14‑year‑old in June 2016, and after receiving indirect communications that she was alive, her case remained unsolved until her safe return in October 2019, following an intensive digital awareness campaign.

Last Seen: Jun 16, 2016