Navajo teen’s case raises questions about Arizona’s Turquoise Alert system

The disappearance of 14-year-old Neveah Alessandro Campos from Glendale, Arizona, did not trigger a statewide Turquoise Alert, prompting renewed questions about the state’s new missing person system, according to Arizona Luminaria.

Campos, who is Navajo and Latino, was reported missing Nov. 1 after leaving a family member’s home. Despite her high-risk status and hospital-issued safety plan, Glendale police said her case did not meet the criteria for an alert. Her mother, Ashley Alessandro, said she received no contact from investigators until Nov. 6.

Officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety said runaway cases “without articulable danger or suspicious circumstances” do not qualify for Turquoise Alerts. Advocates and families of missing Indigenous children have criticized the system, saying it fails to respond with urgency. Campos was reunited with relatives Nov. 8 after social services located her, Arizona Luminaria reported.