Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Ashley Hayes Reporting A little girl who disappeared yesterday morning is with her family this morning.
Ten-year-old Alicia Villanueva left her West Valley home Monday morning. After a large search, a volunteer found her ten miles from home, at Liberty Park. Apparently the girl had rollerbladed across the valley in an attempt to visit her mother.
The reunion with her parents was very emotional. From the time Alicia Villanueva went missing to the time she was reunited with her family she had been gone for 12 hours.
When a woman involved in the search effort found Alicia, she was playing in the sandbox with another child.
Here is how the day began for the family.
Jesse Villanueva/ Father: "If anyone has seen our daughter, please, I beg you, call the police."
Just after 10:00 am the Villanueva family realized 10-year-old Alicia was missing from their West Valley home. Police and volunteers organized in the streets and started going door to door. They handed out flyers and searched the neighborhood.
But is wasn't until dark that Susan Williams found Alicia ten miles from home, at Liberty park.
Williams' own neice goes to elementary school with Alicia and volunteered with her community watch group to help find the girl.
Susan Williams/ Found Missing Girl: "Miracles happen. We said a prayer. God was with us."
Jesse Villanueva: "I love her. And please don't ever do that again."
At the end of the night everyone was in tears.
Alicia's father and step-mother say this behavior is really out of character. Apparently she put on her rollerblades yesterday morning and set out to visit her biological mother, who lives somewhere in the Salt Lake area.