Investigators locate remains of Isabel Celis, 6-year-old girl who disappeared in 2012

TUCSON, Ariz — The remains of Isabel Celis, the 6-year-old who went missing from her Arizona home in 2012, have been found, the Tucson Police Department announced Friday.

Investigators found the human remains in a rural area in Pima County, said Tucson Chief of Police Chris Magnus. A portion of those remains were then sent to an out-of-state laboratory for DNA analysis, which confirmed they were the remains of the little girl, Magnus said.

"It ends the hope of bringing Isabel home safely to her family," he said, adding that Isabel's parents have been informed.

Police have actively reviewed and followed up on more than 2,200 leads since the day Isabel went missing, Magnus said. The police department will continue to actively pursue "those responsible for any kind of involvement in Isabel's disappearance," he said.

Magnus would not provide the exact location where the remains were found or disclose what led investigators to Pima County, simply saying that their presence there was "not happenstance." The scene has been "thoroughly processed," and a full investigation has been completed there, he said.

The police chief also did not release any information on potential suspects but asked the public to contact police with any information relating to Isabel's case, promising to continue to investigate "in a very dedicated manner."

Isabel's abduction garnered national attention after she was reported missing by her father on the morning of April 21, 2012. Her father discovered that she was missing after Isabel's mother had left for work and he went to her bedroom in their Tucson home to wake her up, then-Tucson Chief of Police Roberto Villasenor said at the time.

After her abduction, Isabel's family told ABC News that they had no doubt the girl was kidnapped by a stranger.

Cox Media Group