16-year-old Watts girl found safe more than 1 week after going missing, family spokesperson says

WATTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 16-year-old Watts girl has been found safe after going missing over a week ago, a family spokesperson said.

Mayanin Vazquez's family is "immensely grateful to everyone who assisted in the search efforts and helped spread the word about her disappearance. Their love and support have been invaluable during this difficult time," the spokesperson said early Wednesday in a statement to ABC7. "The family asks for privacy as they focus on healing and spending time together after this ordeal."

No other details about how Mayanin was found were provided in the statement.

"We cannot express our gratitude enough for the community's support in finding Mayanin and bringing her back home," the statement said. "We ask for your understanding and respect for our privacy as we reunite and move forward as a family."

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detective told ABC7 that the teenager said she had been hanging out with friends. No criminal investigation is being conducted, the detective said.

Before Mayanin was found, her family said she was on her way to school with her sisters on the morning of Aug. 12 when she stopped at a Smart & Final near Laurel and East 97 streets in Watts.

However, Mayanin never made it to school and her family didn't know where she went. The teenager was last seen on video walking outside the store with a man unknown to her family.

"I don't know if it's a friendly person or an enemy," girl's father, Samuel Maldonado, said at the time. "Obviously, that's the last person that we need to find so that we can answer some questions. It looks weird to me. Obviously, I don't recognize the person, so that, right away, it raises red flags for me."

Mayanin's family said they immediately reported her missing. They described the teen as a good student and an athlete, running cross-country and track.

They told ABC7 there was no reason to believe she ran away, adding that she doesn't have a boyfriend. Her family also said she left her phone at home.