In the late summer of 2009, a family in Phoenix, Arizona, was forever changed by the disappearance of 12-year-old Yareli Marlem Barajas. On August 11, 2009, the young girl with black hair and brown eyes was last seen in the area of 4500 W. Indian School Road. Yareli, who was born on December 9, 1996, was a young girl with distinguishing scars on her right hand and pierced ears.
Initial investigations into her whereabouts pointed to a heart-wrenching scenario; it was believed she was not a runaway, but a victim of a family abduction.
The focus of the investigation quickly turned to Yareli's non-custodial aunt and uncle, Maria Barajas and Jonathan Javier Hernandez-Guerrero. Authorities believe that the couple abducted Yareli. Investigators learned that Hernandez-Guerrero was 26 years old at the time of Yareli's disappearance, with black hair and brown eyes. As the search for Yareli intensified, law enforcement agencies pursued legal action against her suspected abductors. On June 18, 2018, a felony warrant for kidnapping was issued for Jonathan Hernandez-Guerrero. It has been suggested that Yareli may have been taken to Mexico or Canada, possibly in the company of her aunt, uncle, and their two children.
For years, Yareli's case remained active, with law enforcement and organizations like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children circulating her information in the hopes of a breakthrough. Age-progressed images were created and distributed to show what Yareli might look like as she grew older. The Phoenix Police Department and other agencies continued to seek information from the public, emphasizing that any detail, no matter how small, could be crucial. In a quiet update to her case, it has been reported that Yareli's case was removed from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System though no further details have been released. The case of Yareli Marlem Barajas is a somber reminder of the lasting impact of family abduction, and the many years that can pass while a family waits for answers.Last Seen: Aug 11, 2009
