Heartbreak has struck in Mexico City after the body of 12-year-old Perla Alison was discovered days after she went missing from her home in the Santa Martha Acatitla neighborhood.

According to her family, Perla had simply asked to go to a nearby store to buy candy. She never came back.

An Amber Alert was issued nationwide, and both authorities and community volunteers joined in the urgent search to find her. The case drew widespread attention on social media, where many shared her photo and pleaded for help.

Tragically, the search ended when a neighbor near the Constitución de 1917 metro station reported a foul smell coming from an abandoned lot. Police responded and cordoned off the area. Forensic teams from the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office later confirmed the worst: it was Perla.

Officials say the body showed signs of violence. While full autopsy results are still pending, investigators have opened a femicide case—Mexico’s legal classification for the killing of a girl or woman due to gender-based violence. Early findings suggest Perla may have suffered abuse before her death.

The news has sparked widespread anger and grief across Mexico. Feminist organizations, civil rights groups, and concerned citizens are demanding justice, accountability, and systemic change.

As tributes and protests grow online and in the streets, many are remembering Perla not just as another name in a tragic headline—but as a young girl who deserved safety, a future, and a chance to grow up.