A desperate race against time is underway in the Phoenix metro area after a 3-year-old girl vanished from her Avondale home in the middle of the night, and authorities say she is in danger.
Kehlani Marie Rogers, a bright-eyed toddler whose family describes her as “such a beautiful girl,” was last seen when her parents tucked her into bed at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Friday, February 20, near the intersection of 118th Avenue and Edgemont Street in Avondale, Arizona. When her parents awoke around 5 a.m. Saturday morning and found her missing, they spent nearly three hours searching on their own before contacting police — a frantic effort that speaks to the panic and disbelief that followed.
The Suspect: A Woman the Family Trusted
What makes this case particularly heartbreaking is the circumstances surrounding Kehlani’s disappearance. The family had opened their home to a woman they knew only as “Merena” — someone they were actively trying to help. That act of kindness may have cost them their daughter.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 23-year-old Mariana Noriega, who was captured on surveillance footage at a local business in the City of Maricopa with the child on Saturday. FOX 10 Phoenix Noriega is described as short in stature with a thin build, brown hair worn in a ponytail, and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing black and white tank tops with pink fuzzy pants.
“The fact that she was not allowed to be taken, there was no prior conversation, there was no plan. They wake up this morning and Kehlani’s gone and Merena’s gone — this is what leads us to believe that she’s in danger,” said Jaret Redfearn of the Avondale Police Department. FOX 10 Phoenix
The Search Spans Multiple Agencies
The Arizona Child Abduction Response Team and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are actively assisting Avondale police with the investigation. ABC15 Arizona Surrounding agencies and local hospitals have all been notified. As of Saturday evening, Kehlani had not been located.
Updated Description of the Child
Kehlani is described as an African American girl, approximately 3 feet 5 inches tall with a thin build and brown braided hair. Surveillance footage confirmed that at the time she was spotted with the suspect in Maricopa, Kehlani was wearing purple pajamas with multicolored smiley faces Live 5 News — a change from the pink pajamas she was wearing when she disappeared.
A Community Pleads for Help
“Kehlani, she’s such a beautiful girl and her parents are hurting so bad right now. And our plea to the public is just, please help us. And all we ask is that you keep your eyes open,” Redfearn said. FOX 10 Phoenix
Police are also asking the public to remain cautious about unverified images circulating on social media. In a statement released Saturday, Avondale Police addressed an image spreading online and urged the woman depicted to contact the department directly to provide a statement. FOX 10 Phoenix

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