A 13-year-old girl has been missing from Gwinnett County for nearly a week, and police are now turning to the public for help tracking her down. Evelin Inestroza was last seen leaving a home on Gulf Terrace around 5 p.m. on September 29, and investigators have released surveillance images showing her getting into a blue Toyota Corolla with aftermarket wheels.
According to 11Alive, Gwinnett County Police describe Evelin as about 5 feet 3 inches tall and roughly 128 pounds, with a birthmark on the back of her neck. She was last seen wearing a pink sweatshirt, light blue jeans and tan Crocs. The station's report on the case, authored by Donesha Aldridge, notes that detectives shared the surveillance photo of the Corolla in hopes someone recognizes the vehicle or its occupants.
Behind that single image lies a more involved process. Gwinnett County's Criminal Investigations Section relies on tools like FARO 3-D scanners and dedicated computer forensic technicians to enhance surveillance footage and comb through digital records, work that typically falls to detectives and technical staff rather than patrol officers, according to Gwinnett County.
Why There Was No Statewide Alert
Some readers may wonder why a case like this hasn't triggered Georgia's Amber Alert system, known locally as Levi's Call. Per the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, that alert can only be activated when local law enforcement confirms a child under 18 has been abducted and is in imminent danger of serious injury or death, a threshold that explicitly excludes runaway cases or situations without confirmed abduction details. That is why public appeals in cases like this often lean on social media, local news and tip lines instead of a statewide broadcast.
Levi's Call itself traces back to tragedy. The system was established in 2002 and named in memory of 11-year-old Levi Frady, who was abducted and murdered in Forsyth County in October 1997, a case that remains unsolved, per WSB Radio.
Federal law also shapes how quickly police can act. Under Suzanne's Law, agencies are barred from enforcing any mandatory waiting period before accepting a missing youth report and must immediately enter missing individuals under 21 into the FBI's National Crime Information Center database, according to the Office of Justice Programs. That requirement is why Gwinnett County Police were able to begin searching for Evelin without delay.
A Heavy Caseload for Gwinnett Detectives
Evelin's disappearance adds to a steady stream of similar reports in the county. Gwinnett County Police's Special Victims Unit fields approximately 215 missing child and teenager reports each year and maintains an active caseload of roughly 20 to 25 missing youths at any given time, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Supervisors there have noted that most missing minors are found within a week, which places Evelin's case near that threshold.
Nationally, the picture is similarly complex. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children assisted law enforcement with 32,167 missing child cases in 2025 and achieved a 90% recovery rate, with runaways accounting for 92% of all reports, per MissingKids.org. Federal testimony cited by the Office of Senator Jon Ossoff has also noted that safety risks increase the longer a youth remains missing, and that between 2018 and 2022, NCMEC identified 410 children missing from care in Georgia as likely victims of child sex trafficking.
Gwinnett has also taken part in broader coordinated efforts. In April, a multi-agency initiative called Operation Coast to Coast, involving more than 250 law enforcement agencies across 30 states, recovered 11 missing children across Georgia with Gwinnett County Police among the participating departments, according to the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia.
How to Help
Evelin's case follows other recent Gwinnett County searches, including Hoodline's earlier coverage of a Snellville man gone a week, and a neighboring case out of DeKalb County involving another missing 13-year-old. Anyone with information on Evelin's whereabouts is asked to contact Gwinnett County Police detectives at 770-513-5300. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS (8477), which offers cash rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in felony or missing person cases.
