The child was taken from an Avondale home by a woman who later claimed the girl was her own daughter, according to police.
PHOENIX, Ariz. — An Amber Alert for a missing 2-year-old girl ended at a Phoenix gas station after a security guard and moving crew spotted the child with the woman accused of taking her from an Avondale home, authorities said.
The recovery turned a troubling child abduction case into a story about how quickly public attention can matter. Police said Marina Noriega, 23, had spent the night at the family’s house before leaving with Kehlani Rogers. By March 6, prosecutors said a grand jury had indicted Noriega on felony charges, shifting the case from an emergency search to a court fight over what happened and why.
The search began after Kehlani’s family reported her missing from their home near 118th Avenue and Thomas Road. Investigators said Noriega had been allowed to stay at the house because she needed a place to sleep. Police later gathered surveillance footage and a witness account suggesting she traveled first through Avondale and then to Maricopa with the child in a stroller. Records cited by local stations said a driver told police that Noriega talked about going to California by train. The case widened from a neighborhood check to a regional effort once officers concluded the child had likely been abducted and issued an Amber Alert. By then, phones across the area were carrying the child’s name, photo and the suspect description.
The alert reached a QuikTrip near 27th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix on the morning of Feb. 22. Workers from Camelback Moving were there on a routine stop when the notification appeared. NBC and local Arizona stations reported that a security guard recognized the pair, approached the movers and said he believed the woman who had just come in with a small child matched the alert. The workers then looked toward the parking lot, identified a vehicle they believed belonged to the suspect and moved their trucks into place. One worker could be heard in video shared later saying, “Oh my God, that’s her.” Minutes later, Phoenix police arrived. Officers recovered the child safely and took Noriega into custody.
Authorities say the recovery gave detectives their first chance to test Noriega’s explanation. According to court records described by local outlets, she told investigators that Kehlani was her biological daughter and that the girl had been taken from her in a hospital after birth. Detectives said her statements changed as questioning continued and that she later admitted taking the child was a mistake. Police have not publicly released evidence that supports her claim, and prosecutors have treated the case as an abduction, not a custody dispute. The child’s parents told officers they had only recently met Noriega and had let her stay because she said she had nowhere to go. Police said Kehlani was not physically hurt.
The case also highlighted the larger machinery behind child recovery efforts. Public records and local reports show investigators relied on family statements, surveillance footage, a civilian ride to Maricopa, the statewide Amber Alert and a final tip at the Phoenix convenience store. Each step narrowed the search. After the child was found, officials announced that Noriega had been indicted on custodial interference and second-degree burglary charges. She remained in jail on a $250,000 cash bond, according to local reports. Future hearings are expected to focus on the state’s evidence, the circumstances inside the home and whether Noriega’s statements point to deeper mental health questions.
Afterward, the people who helped stop the car described the scene in simple terms. Chad Olsen, president of Camelback Moving, said he was proud of the workers who acted within seconds after hearing the guard’s warning. He said their training and quick judgment helped keep the suspect from leaving before officers got there. Police records cited by local media said the child later told her parents she was scared and wanted to go home. Those details gave the case its emotional center: a toddler found in time, a family reunited, and strangers whose fast decisions helped end a dangerous search in a crowded city parking lot.
Kehlani has been returned safely to her family, and Noriega now faces felony prosecution in Maricopa County. The next key step is her next court appearance as prosecutors move the indictment toward trial.
Author note: Last updated March 22, 2026.