Italian authorities believe a 5-year-old Peruvian girl was kidnapped from a former hotel housing some 140 illegal immigrants, according to global reports.
Kataleya Mia Chicillo Alvarez was reportedly stuffed into a suitcase and kidnapped from the former Hotel Astor in Florence, where she and her family lived illegally with about 140 other migrants, on June 10, according to Italian news outlet La Repubblica.
A 3-year-old girl who lived in the same hotel as Kataleya reportedly said she saw the 5-year-old crying while being dragged away by an unknown man, the outlet reported.
Investigators are examining a cellphone found in a trash can near the hotel, according to La Repubblica.
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The Alvarez family lawyers have reportedly requested to conduct their own investigation at the hotel once Italian police complete theirs.
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Kataleya's mother, Kathrina Alvarez, was apparently hospitalized after drinking bleach in desperation after her daughter's disappearance, La Repubblica reported.
"I made a mistake. I'll be fine, forgive me if for a moment I thought about giving up and losing hope. But now I'm stronger, and I won't rest until I find [her]," she said, according to the outlet.
Her father, Miguel Angel Romero, reportedly said he has had issues with the former hotel in the past and speculated that Kataleya's kidnapping may be an "extortion" attempt. The 140 migrants were apparently evicted from the hotel on Saturday.
"I think it's a kidnapping. Maybe for extortion, I don't know. I don't have to judge. God will judge, but my little girl has nothing to do with it. I don't want any more problems with anyone. I love my family," he said, according to La Repubblica.
The Peruvian community in Florence marched through the streets holding signs with Kataleya's — or Kata's — name and photos in an effort to spread awareness about her disappearance.
