Staff Report

SYRACUSE — Two women have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of 14-year-old Aaliyah Ramirez.

The Syracuse teen, who had been missing since April, was found safe in Florida last week.

A Facebook post by Ramirez’s mother, Ashli Aspy, on Friday Aug. 27, indicated that “Liz Sands and Allissa Sands were both arrested by U.S. Marshals” and that the two had been keeping Ramirez in a hotel room, concealing her identity with a blonde wig.

According to information on the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office website booking blotter, Elizabeth Ann Sands, 47, and Allissa M. Sands, 25, both of Boynton Beach, Fla., were booked Friday. 

News reports have indicated that the two women are relatives of Ramirez.

Indiana State Police canceled the missing person report for Ramirez late Friday night.

Details of the events leading up to her being found in Florida have not been released.

The missing person case gained national attention through broadcasts on NBC’s Dateline and “In Pursuit with John Walsh,” which was broadcast earlier this month. 

She had been missing since April 27 when she was last seen heading to a bus stop.