x
Breaking News
More () »

Police call woman's disappearance from The Colony a 'voluntary absence'

Police said Friday there were no signs of foul play in Viridiana Arevalo's disappearance, but her missing persons case will remain open until she's found.
Credit: The Colony police
A CLEAR Alert was issued for Viridiana Arevalo on Dec. 18.

THE COLONY, Texas — Updated on Friday with information from police.

After investigating the missing person case of Viridiana Arevalo, The Colony police say there is no sign of foul play.

"We currently believe this is a voluntary absence," a tweet from The Colony Police Department said.

However, police say the investigation into her absence will remain open until the 23-year-old woman is found.

Arevalo was last seen at 8 a.m. on Monday in the 5200 block of Runyon Drive in The Colony. 

RELATED: Brother confesses to killing pregnant sister, dumping her body, The Colony police say

Police had issued a CLEAR Alert for Arevalo on Wednesday morning.

Arevalo is described as 5 feet tall and 130 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black leggings with a pink stripe.

Anyone with information about Arevalo should contact The Colony Police Department at 972-625-1887.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For more breaking and developing news, download the WFAA app

What is a CLEAR Alert

State legislation created the Coordinated Law Enforcement Adult Rescue (CLEAR) Alert program in 2019. The goal of the legislation was to close the missing persons alert gap, between children and senior citizens.

A CLEAR Alert helps law enforcement agencies find adults who are missing, kidnapped, or abducted and in immediate danger of injury or death. The program also aims to help locate potential suspects.

The program also honors victims of violence who spurred the movement to create the program: Cayley Mandadi; D'Lisa Kelley; Erin Castro; Ashanti Billie and the Rest.

RELATED: Texas has two new types of emergency alerts: Camo Alerts and CLEAR Alerts

What is the criteria for a CLEAR Alert

There are a few criteria that must be met to issue a CLEAR Alert: 

First, the individual must be between 18 and 64 years of age, and their location must be unknown.

Second, a preliminary investigation should verify that the adult is in imminent danger of bodily injury or death or their disappearance involuntary such as an abduction or kidnapping.

Third, the request for a CLEAR Alert needs to be made with 72 hours of the person's disappearance.

Finally, there must be sufficient information to share with the public to help find the person, suspect or vehicle involved in the disappearance.

More stories from WFAA: 

Before You Leave, Check This Out