UPDATE: Zailey Unidad’s mother posted to Instagram Saturday, stating that Unidad has been found. The post said:
“The FBI is still handling some loose ends… but Zailey has been found. Thank you for all the help. We are taking time to heal as a family.”
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The FBI was searching Tuesday for a Las Vegas woman who last claimed she was in Mexico.
Zailey Unidad Flores, 21, was last heard from by phone on Jan. 12, according to an FBI missing person poster.
April Reed, Flores’ mother, told the 8 News Now Investigators that her daughter seemed incoherent when she spoke with her. Reed said that this was the first red flag.
A series of events followed that also raised her suspicions. Reed said that she received a call demanding $500 for her daughter and that when she requested a photo for “proof of life,” that was never provided.
Reed also said that she learned about a man in his 40s, who said that he fell in love with her daughter and they went to Mexico together, but he claims that he doesn’t know where her daughter is.
Flores previously has struggled with mental health and drug abuse, according to Reed. Flores also had one run-in with the law after she was accused of stealing a car, EastIdahoNews.com reported.
Reed posted several videos on TikTok about her daughter’s disappearance.
In an emotional interview with the 8 News Now Investigators, Reed had a plea for her daughter’s return: “If somebody really has her, give her back, give her back.”
Flores has ties to Las Vegas and Reno, as well Skid Row areas of Los Angeles, according to the FBI, as well as Michigan, Arizona and Idaho.
“If you have kids, stop what you’re doing and give them a hug because there is nothing like a feeling of not being able to do that,” Reed said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI. The Las Vegas office can be reached at 702-385-1281. The FBI is also urging anyone with information to contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.