Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP142465)
Serena Garza was 19 years old when she was last seen on May 2, 2023, in Youngtown, Arizona. She was a young woman whose disappearance was reported in Maricopa County, where the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office became the investigating agency. Publicly available case information identified her as Serena Alize Garza and described her as having brown hair and brown eyes, with an estimated height between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 6 inches and an estimated weight between 110 and 120 pounds.
Her disappearance began as a missing person case from the small community of Youngtown, a town within the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, and the uncertainty surrounding her whereabouts would have been deeply distressing for those who knew and loved her.
According to available public details, Serena was reported missing after she had last been seen in Youngtown. The case was handled through the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the county law enforcement agency responsible for investigating incidents in its jurisdiction, including missing person reports. The available public information does not describe the exact circumstances of where Serena was going, who she may have been with, what she was wearing, or what led to the initial concern for her safety. In cases where only limited information is released, the absence of detailed public updates does not lessen the seriousness of the situation; it often reflects that investigators and family members were working with limited confirmed facts while trying to locate the missing person as safely and quickly as possible.
As with many missing person cases involving young adults, Serena’s case likely depended on careful follow-up, communication with people who may have seen or spoken with her, and review of any available information that could help determine her movements after she was last seen. Youngtown is a small community in Maricopa County, and cases from such areas often rely heavily on timely tips, neighborhood awareness, and cooperation between law enforcement and the public. The public record available for Serena’s case does not provide a detailed timeline beyond the reported last-seen information, and no independently verified public narrative was found describing the precise events that led to her being located.
The investigating agency has reported that Serena Garza was found alive, meaning this is no longer an active missing person case. Because the public information available does not provide a verified exact date or detailed circumstances of when or how she was located, those details should not be stated as fact. What can be said is that Serena’s case began with a 19-year-old woman missing from Youngtown, Arizona, after last being seen on May 2, 2023, and ended with the most important outcome families hope for in a missing person investigation: she was located alive. The case stands as a reminder of the anxiety families face when someone disappears, the importance of accurate public information, and the relief that comes when a missing person is safely found.Last Seen: May 2, 2023
