Missing US Boy Andrew Escobar Found Alive After Three Years

A missing American boy who vanished at age 11 from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, has been found alive and safe three years later after a routine border alert led authorities to him at the US-Mexico border. Andrew Escobar, now 14, was discovered on July 1 when his mother attempted to cross from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas, triggering an alert that led border agents to identify him as a missing person.

The Disappearance

Andrew was last seen on June 25, 2023, after going for an overnight stay with his mother, Miriam Felix. His father, Juan Escobar, had been awarded custody following a contentious legal battle. When Andrew never returned home, a felony warrant for custodial interference was issued for Felix on August 21, 2023, according to the New York Post. The US Marshals Service offered a $3,500 reward for information leading to her arrest.

A Desperate Search

Juan Escobar and his wife Monique quit their jobs to search for Andrew full-time. They distributed missing posters, organized car washes, and followed tips across multiple states. A private investigator eventually traced the mother to the Fort Collins, Colorado area, where she had changed her name to Sophie Shelton and changed Andrew’s name to Oliver Shelton. By the time authorities arrived, they had moved on.

In February 2024, police believed Andrew might be in the Greeley or Evans area of northern Colorado, as reported by the Greeley Tribune. Andrew was even featured on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” as the search continued.

As KVIA ABC-7 El Paso reported, the family attorney Darlene Gomez confirmed that the mother is currently in custody at the El Paso County jail, awaiting extradition to New Mexico on multiple felony charges.

The Breakthrough

The discovery came entirely by chance. When Miriam Felix attempted to cross from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso, an unspecified alert was triggered. Border agents checked Andrew’s identification and discovered he was listed as a missing person. Both were taken into custody.

“His mom triggered some sort of warning, and then they checked his ID, and then that’s when they recognized that he was listed as a missing person, and that’s when they detained them both,” Juan Escobar told the New York Post.

A Father’s Shock

Juan described his reaction to receiving the call from El Paso police as “shock and disbelief.” He and his wife drove from New Mexico to El Paso for an emotional reunion just ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

“The reality is that Andrew was an 11-year-old boy that was abducted and was moved across the country, and then moved out of the country and possibly overseas over the last three years,” Juan told KVIA. “He’s a boy right now who has been in flight or fight mode for the last three years.”

International Dimension

Andrew told authorities that he and his mother traveled to Austria, Turkey, and Albania during the three-year period. He attended online school under an assumed name and completed the eighth grade. The father has publicly questioned how his ex-wife could afford international travel and how they crossed multiple borders without detection, raising concerns about international missing persons database coordination.

Looking Ahead

While Andrew is physically healthy, his father expressed deep concern about his emotional and mental state. “Physically, he’s well, but he’s just been through so much the last three years emotionally and mentally,” Juan said.

In a January 2026 interview with KRQE, Juan had described Andrew as his “best friend,” saying they loved making videos together and joking around. That bond is now being rebuilt after three agonizing years.

Juan Escobar said he hopes his ex-wife understands the gravity of what she has done. “This isn’t just trying to keep a father away from his son. This is breaking local law and breaking international law,” he told KVIA. “I’m hopeful she understands what she’s done and she gets the help that she needs.”

The case highlights both the challenges of tracking parental abductions across international borders and the unexpected role that routine border security checks can play in resolving long-standing missing persons cases.

As the family begins the process of healing and rebuilding their lives, the father’s message to other parents is simple: “Do what’s best for your children, because ultimately, they’re what matter the most.”