Ukrainian woman missing from California found alive in Mexico

A Ukrainian woman who disappeared during a cross-country road trip in the United States more than a year ago has been located alive in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, authorities announced. Ganna Kovrizhnykh, 38, was reported missing in July 2025 after her vehicle and camper trailer were found abandoned in the rural community of Potrero, California, near the U.S.-Mexico border. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office confirmed on August 22, 2026, that investigators made contact with and verified her identity on August 7.

Kovrizhnykh, a Ukrainian citizen who had been living in Hallandale Beach, Florida, was driving from Florida to California when she was last heard from by family on July 5, 2025. A friend reported her missing a week later, on July 12, when her Jeep Grand Cherokee and trailer were discovered along Potrero Park Drive. The disappearance drew widespread attention after Kovrizhnykh's mother received a photograph of a handwritten note containing GPS coordinates leading to Potrero, instructing her to take control of her daughter's personal assets. This occurred around the same time Kovrizhnykh, who used the online alias Angel Volnaya, posted a video on Facebook reading...