Texas girl missing for TWELVE years after she was abducted by her mother and taken to Mexico during custody battle is rescued in secret mission

  • Sabrina Allen was just four when her mother, Dara Llorens, took her during an unsupervised visit and fled to Mexico
  • The girl, now 17, was rescued in a secret mission carried out by a child rescue team, the FBI and Mexican authorities and flew back on Tuesday
  • Her mother, Dara Llorens, is also in police custody in the U.S. 
  • Her father, Greg Allen, revealed in an emotional video that his daughter had been told that he didn't want her and that he had committed suicide
  • He added that Llorens had apparently undergone extensive plastic surgery to disguise her identity, while Sabrina had been dyeing her hair

A four-year-old girl who was abducted by her mother from Texas 12 years ago has been rescued from Mexico in a secret mission.

Sabrina Allen, who is now 17, and her mother, 44-year-old Dara Llorens, flew to Houston on Tuesday evening, an investigator told USA Today.

It is unclear if Sabrina has been reunited with her father, Greg Allen, who revealed in a teary video on Wednesday that his daughter had been told he had committed suicide.

Llorens is in police custody at the Travis County Jail, where she has been booked on aggravated kidnapping charges and is being held on $300,000 bond.

She allegedly failed to return Sabrina to her father's custody following an unsupervised visit in 2002 and has since undergone plastic surgery to disguise herself, Greg Allen said in the video.

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Back home: Sabrina Allen, pictured left before she was kidnapped by her mother in 2002, has been rescued from Mexico and returned to the U.S. Right, an image of what she might look like now, aged 17

Although Sabrina has apparently missed out on years of schooling, she was in good physical health when she was found and is now being evaluated by Medical Health experts in Texas.

She and her mother were found using fake names in a small town in Mexico, her father said in the emotional video on his GoFundMe page.

He explained that Sabrina was still dyeing her hair - as her mother had done when she was a child - when she was found.

'She was not in school and her education is reportedly several years behind,' he said. 'She was effectively a prisoner in a two-bedroom apartment.'

He added that his ex-wife had told their daughter that he didn't want her and that he had committed suicide. The girl had also been told her paternal grandparents were dead, he said. 

Torn apart: Greg Allen, left, said he never stopped looking for his daughter after the girl's mother, Dara Llorens, right, took her in 2002 and dyed the girl's hair to elude police. Llorens is now in police custody

Emotional: In a video released on Wednesday, Sabrina's father Greg said that his daughter had been told that she didn't want him and that he had committed suicide. He thanked authorities for their help

Emotional: In a video released on Wednesday, Sabrina's father Greg said that his daughter had been told that she didn't want him and that he had committed suicide. He thanked authorities for their help

'She's in pretty bad shape,' he added. 'Sabrina has been under a pretty intense campaign to hate me for 10 years.'

He added that Llorens has 'apparently had extensive plastic surgery to disguise her appearance.' 

Llorens, who was divorced from Allen in 2002, allegedly abducted the girl during an unsupervised visit at the end of a six-month period of court-supervised visitations.

When a judge ordered her to turn over the girl to her father's custody by 6pm on April 21, 2002, Llorens fled to Mexico with her, changing her hair color to elude authorities.

A Travis County warrant says that Allen never gave Llorens permission to take his child to Mexico.

'During April and Mary of 2002, Dara Llorens intentionally and knowingly abducted the child by restraining her so as to interfere substantially with her liberty, by moving her from one place to another,' the warrant noted. 

Changed: When the girl was spotted, left, in Mexico City 14 months later, her mother had apparently dyed her blonde locks, right, dark brown. When she was found, she was still dyeing her hair, her father said

Taken: Sabrina Allen, who is now 17, has returned to Texas and is being evaluated, her family said

Taken: Sabrina Allen, who is now 17, has returned to Texas and is being evaluated, her family said

Missed: Her father, Greg, was due to take custody of the girl when her mother snatched her in 2002

Missed: Her father, Greg, was due to take custody of the girl when her mother snatched her in 2002

The mother and her daughter were tracked down to Mexico City after 14 months but managed to get away from authorities. Pictures taken at the time showed the girl's blonde locks dyed brown. 

Sabrina has been under a pretty intense campaign to hate me for 10 years 
Greg Allen, Sabrina's father 

At the time, they were living under the assumed names Blanca Aurora Fabian Urieb and Adriana Fabian Uribe. They were last seen living there in June 2003. 

Sabrina was finally rescued during a secret rescue mission on Tuesday.

One person was injured during the rescue mission - which was carried out by a child rescue team, the FBI, U.S. Marshal service and Mexican authorities - in a small town southeast of Mexico City.

The official's injuries are not life threatening. 

In another statement on FindSabrina.org, Sabrina's father Greg said he is 'overjoyed' that she has been found alive and safe.

Snatched: Llorens allegedly took her daughter into Mexico after she was supposed to hand the child over to the custody of her father. Greg Allen said his ex-wife has apparently had plastic surgery to appear different

'Our entire family would like to thank the investigators that made this happen,' he said. 'Our prayers go out to the Mexican Federal Police Officer who was injured.

'We also would like to thank the Mexican Government for their cooperation in this case.

'Last, a heartfelt thank you to the USFBI, US Marshals, and all of the investigators that have worked this case for the last 12 years. They never gave up. We look forward to being reunited very soon.'

The FBI and Austin police said they will provide more information at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.   

Grown up: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children previously shared this image of Sabrina, whose mother dyed her blonde hair so they would not be detected by authorities

Grown up: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children previously shared this image of Sabrina, whose mother dyed her blonde hair so they would not be detected by authorities

The child has been listed as missing by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ever since. 

Last March, the girl's father, who has three other children, vowed never to give up looking for his daughter.

'I want to find her,' Allen told Fox7. 'I want to see her again. She needs to know she has a family that loves her. I can't just give up on her.'

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